Inch
by God Emperor Penguin
Summary: Maybe one day he'll be everything she ever wanted in life. But today is not that day.
1. Inch

**Summary: **_Maybe one day he'll be everything she ever wanted in life. But today is not that day._

**Author's Notes:** _Good morrow to you all, this is Narutochaos22 speaking. The Based Penguin-senpai has allowed I, his humble sometimes editor, to write a story that occurred to me the other day as I was editing __**Date Auction**__. You could consider this as the spiritual sequel, so I'd advise that you read that first. /shamelessadvertising_

_So basically, for this story at least, I'm hijacking his account. Let's have some fun. Wheeee._

**Inch**

**RWBY**

* * *

'You _what_?!'

'… I'm pretty sure you heard me the first time.'

'B-but.' Wild blonde bangs danced side to side as Jaune Arc struggled to shake away his surprise. 'How could you not have?'

Bemused blue eyes stared at him. 'Is it really such a big deal?'

'Oh, Weiss,' Jaune groaned, his head in his hands. 'Oh Weiss, Weiss, Weiss…'

It had been quite some time since the cultural festival. True to her promise, Weiss had been begrudgingly making Jaune a lunchbox every day since the incident. Even though Jaune pointed out that Ren had given him some meal tickets for the cafeteria, she'd snapped at him, saying that she's sooner force feed him trash from the garbage dump than let him touch any of that greasy slop.

Although an awkward affair at first with the both of them sitting in silence as they ate (Weiss refused to let anyone else know of this arrangement, so she'd always make them go somewhere obscure), the two slowly began to talk. It was trivial things at first (How was class? Did you do the homework due today?), but eventually they eased into more casual conversation (Are Ren and Nora still not dating? What did the sisters do this time?).

To the outside viewers, they looked like a couple in love. But that wasn't the case. In fact, after much deliberation, they (Weiss) decided on the title of "Kinda Friends". Not quite acquaintances, but not quite friends either.

Which brings the story back to the present. To be precise, right now they were in one of Beacon's many classrooms.

Jaune couldn't take it anymore. Launching himself to his feet, he began pacing back and forth.

He pointed at Weiss. 'I can't believe you've never played a video game before!' he exclaimed.

Weiss boredly stared back at him. 'I should have known you were the dramatic type.'

'Oh really, what gave it away?'

'The umpteenth time you tried to serenade me might have had done something to do with it.'

'Oh please. You should have seen me back in my academy da- hey that's not the point right now!' Jaune's eyes flared. 'You haven't played a video game before! Weiss, you… you haven't…' Words, Jaune. Words. 'Lived!'

'Quite ironic, considering we're talking about video games.'

A pause. 'Touché.'

'Look,' Weiss sighed. 'Video games weren't really… my family's style.'

Jaune perked up. 'What do you mean?'

She averted her eyes and shifted uncomfortably. 'I had a… difficult childhood.'

Jaune had never known how to be tactful. You need only ask one of his many sisters. And yet, though the question lingered at tip of his tongue, somewhere at the back of his head, something asked him to rein it in.

Instead, he nodded. 'Alright then.'

Weiss visibly relaxed.

He reached out his hand. 'Give me your scroll.'

And then tensed up again.

'W-what? Why?'

A sigh. 'Just give it.'

'B-but-'

'I solemnly swear to not look at any of your private files.' Jaune said, honesty ringing clear in his voice. 'Just give me your scroll.'

Weiss peered into his eyes, looking for ulterior intent. She found none.

'… Fine.' she said, passing him her holographic tablet.

A grin flashed on his face before he swivelled around and began furiously tapping the screen. Weiss could only watch in awe as his hands blurred across the interface.

'You know,' she said. 'If you put half as much effort into your training as you do with electronics, you might actually make a good hunter.'

'Well it's nice to know that the _Ice Queen_ acknowledges my talents,' Jaune quipped dryly, his eyes still glued to the screen. 'And… ah.'

He swung back towards Weiss. 'Say cheese.'

'Wha-'

Flash.

'Thaaaaaank you.'

Weiss blinked. 'What was-?'

'That? You'll see,' Jaune smiled as he continued to fiddle with the tablet.

Finally, he handed Weiss back her scroll.

Weiss looked at her screen.

Her jaw dropped.

A chibi-fied Weiss was waving back up at her. An uncharacteristically wide smile was adorned on her face.

'I needed a picture of you in order to create your avatar,' Jaune explained. 'See?' He held up his scroll just in time to show a chibi Jaune trip over his own shoelaces.

Weiss was still reeling. 'This is… this is…'

Jaune smirked. 'Yeeeeeeees?'

'It's so… so…'

'Uh huh, I know.'

'… Weird.'

'My thoughts exac- wait what.'

'But it's kinda cute too, I guess,' Weiss said, a ghost of a smile on her face.

Jaune laughed. 'Well then, Miss Schnee,' he replied as he flicked the classroom's virtual projector screen on, the avatars already uploaded and waiting for them to begin. 'Prepare to be amazed.'

* * *

Time flew by quickly.

The two of them sat, engrossed as their miniature selves took part in a myriad of activity, such as racing, fighting, shooting, and platforming. Weiss, ever the prodigy, quickly adapted to the control scheme, and was soon beating Jaune in every single minigame they encountered.

'Weiss… p-please…'

Currently, Avatar Jaune was clinging to Avatar Weiss' hand for dear life. Below him bubbled the most molten of lava, eager to consume him in its embrace.

'Y-you need me for the next puzzle, Weiss. You hear me? You need a friend to manoeuvre the other switch!'

Weiss was silent.

'Weiss,' he cried. 'I'm begging you! You need someone for the next puzzle! You need a friend!'

'... I'll find another,' she said coldly. And with that, Avatar Weiss let go of Avatar Jaune's hand, dooming him to the volcano's wrath.

'Noooo…' Jaune mourned as his avatar disappeared from their sight.

Weiss was solemn. 'It had to be done.'

'…'

Sombre. 'There could only be one.'

'… I will avenge The Jaunester,' he snarled.

Puzzlement graced her features. 'The Jaunester? What kind of name is- _hey_!'

Casting his scroll to the side, Jaune made a wild leap for Weiss'. Weiss struggled to keep him away. Fearful eyes shot to the screen as Avatar Weiss teetered closer and closer to the edge.

'If I go down, you go down with me!' Jaune roared as he again lurched for the tablet.

'Watch out, you're gonna-!'

_Crash!_

Jaune's momentum proved too much for the chairs they were sitting on, causing the both of them to sprawl out onto the floor.

Haphazardly heaving up, Jaune spared a glance at the projector screen. Avatar Weiss was still alive, sticking her tongue out at him in mockery.

'The Jaunester…' he moaned. 'I have failed thee.'

He suddenly became very aware of his position. Or rather, who he was positioned on. Hearing a peculiar noise below him, he angled his face back downwards.

And immediately lurched back. 'Oh god I am so sorry I-' he began in a fluster.

And then he stopped.

So far, in his eighteen years of living, Jaune had seen many things. And he knew that he would see many more extraordinary things later on. But if he were to ever look back on his life in his later years, none would compare to what he saw now.

Weiss Schnee, heir to the Schnee Dust Company, was laughing.

It was nothing like that controlled fit she had back during the great inaugural RWBY/JNPR food fight. It was just full, blown-out laughter. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she continued to giggle, her hair was messy and her forehead sweaty from their earlier scuffle.

And Jaune had never seen anything more beautiful.

As her peals of laughter finally slowed, Weiss breathlessly turned to meet his gaze, mirth still in her eyes.

There was silence.

Maybe one day he'll finally close the gap and perhaps she'll reciprocate in full. Maybe one day he'll start and stutter when she accepts his invitation to the dance. Maybe one day during break he'll introduce her to his family and watch as his younger sisters dote on her.

Maybe one day he'll stand outside her father's office, nervous and sweaty as he prepares to ask for his daughter's hand in marriage. Maybe one day Pyrrha will be his best man and Ruby her maid of honour as they perform the age-old ceremony. Maybe one day she'll proclaim that her love for him is as much if not more than his love for her.

Maybe one day she'll hand over the company to the sister he's heard so little about and agree to go on an adventure with him around all of Remnant.

Maybe one day they'll sit out on the porch, old and content, watching their grandchildren run and play in the light of the setting sun.

Maybe one day he'll be everything she ever wanted in life.

But today is not that day.

Rising from the ground and dusting himself off, he offered his hand to her.

'Come on,' Jaune said with a smile. 'We still have time for another go.'

* * *

_Inch Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _And that's all she wrote. Maybe I went a little OOC near the end, that's my bad. Whenever I get caught up in writing, I tend to spiral a little. And no, Pyrrha as best man is not a typo. I just feel like that's a very Jaune thing to do._

_On Jaune/Weiss, though. I slowly became attached to this pairing after I grew a bit bored of White Rose. Something about 'getting the impossible girl' trope just causes my inner self to go crazy. And technically there is some room in the RWBY canon for this pairing, since Neptune did tell Weiss that it was Jaune who gave him encouragement to talk to her. And Weiss did look surprised… Just saying. It's possible. Jaune/Pyrrha seems to be the sailing ship, though. Oh well._

… _I feel the incessant need to clarify that I am indeed a male. I'm just very in touch with my feminine side._

_Anyway, you'll be back to your regular transmission of crazy off-the-chart ideas from GodEmperorPenguin very soon. I'm helping with a work of his right now that has potential to be very good. And who knows, I might pop in again from time to time. Depends if I'm motivated, I guess._

_Remember, keep it real._

_-Narutochaos22_

**_P.S._** _Spot the Game of Thrones reference._


	2. Centimetre

**Summary: **_One day, maybe he'll ask her if the journey was worth the reward._

**Author's Notes:** _Hello again. Yep, it's me. Honestly, I didn't expect people to like what I wrote. But hey. TheArchangel02 asked for me to 'make a sequel or whatever where Jaune and Weiss live happily with each other.' So… let's see how this pans out, I guess._

**Centimetre**

**RWBY**

* * *

It was raining.

There was no metaphorical deeper symbolism behind this, no meaning of life philosophy or whatever. It was just a statement of a fact. It. Was. Raining. Pretty damn hard too. Perfect weather for when and where we set this scene.

'Weiss?'

'Mm?' The white haired heiress roused herself from her light doze.

The freezer door slammed shut, revealing the stooped blonde boy wonder. 'I think we need to talk about your banana obsession,' Jaune mused wryly.

Weiss gasped as she sat upright on the couch. 'I do _not_ have an obsession!' she fumed, offended.

'There are enough Schnee Frozen Bananas here to last you through an entire year.'

'…'

'Uh huh.' Jaune was smug. 'Guilty.'

'… They're really good, okay?'

The twenty-two-year-old shook his head. Lord knows how she remained in such good shape. Having Ruby for a roommate certainly didn't help her chances either. Jaune didn't even bother to check the pantry. He could almost feel the aura of the mountain of cookies drifting towards him.

It had been seven months since they'd graduated from their four-year-stay at Beacon. Heeding Ozpin's recommendation, the teams had split into their partnered cells - applying for their hunting licenses in their duos.

'It'll make it easier for you to be hired,' he had explained. 'Take this time to gain more experience. Once the license expires, feel free to make the decision to continue to work with your partner, or as an individual from then onwards.'

And so both Team RWBY and JNPR rented out apartments to live in throughout Vale. Weiss and Ruby chose to live in the heart of the city, while Blake and Yang decided on the outskirts closer to the country. As for JNPR, it was unanimously decided that the boys and the girls were to go their separate ways. The unisex dorm had been an awkward affair back at Beacon, and they didn't want a repeat of such an ordeal. However, despite their living conditions, Pyrrha was still teamed with Jaune, and Nora still with Ren.

The White Rose suite had a very vibrant feel to it. Everywhere you looked, red clashed with white and white clashed with red. Weiss had spared no expense on interior decorating… Ruby mostly just sat back and watched.

The sugar-fuelled huntress adorned in red from head-to-toe was currently out visiting Blake and Yang, which brings us to our present scene.

With a sigh, Jaune plopped down on the couch. Shifting around, he laid back, stretching his legs over Weiss' lap.

Weiss scoffed, but made no effort to move the new burden.

Suddenly, a white light. Lightning tore across the sky as the rumble of thunder made its presence known.

'The weather's great today,' Jaune deadpanned.

Weiss hummed in acknowledgement.

The two sat in silence, listening only to the sound of the howling rain. _Pitter, patter. Pitter, patter._

Jaune was about to fall asleep before he heard the heiress speak up.

'So…' she started. 'How long's this hunt going to be?'

Jaune blinked. 'Well, we're leaving tonight,' he said, shrugging. 'I guess it depends on how easy it is to find the Death Stalker nests. With the weather being what it is-'

'You mean, with Pyrrha having to pull double duty.'

'_With the weather being what it is_,' Jaune repeated, glaring at the smirking huntress. 'It'll probably be a couple of days.' He yawned and closed his eyes. 'You and Red will probably be on your own hunt when we get back.'

Still smirking, Weiss rolled her eyes. 'Okay then.'

A comfortable silence once again enveloped them.

And once again, it was Weiss who broke it.

'So… you and Pyrrha.'

'Yes.'

'You two will be travelling together.'

'Affirmative.'

'You'll be camping together.'

'Yep.'

'Alone.'

'Uh huh.'

'… I see.'

Sensing a change in her demeanour, the young Arc opened his eyes. Peering at her person, he found her staring off into the distance, sullen and in thought. He was befuddled.

'Something wrong?' he inquired.

'No,' she responded curtly.

'You sure? Was it something I said?' He was beginning to worry.

'Nothing. Everything's fine.' Her voice was tight.

'Weiss…' he pleaded.

Subconsciously, the heiress turned her head. She immediately regretted doing so. Faced before her was a grown man who, due to the estrogenic overload at his home, had mastered what it meant to have 'puppy-dog eyes'. He was leaps and bounds better at this than Ruby was. She'd never tell him this, of course. Lord knows he didn't need an ego boost.

Shifting his legs from her lap, Jaune moved closer to her.

'Come on _Ice Queen_…' he implored, hoping to invoke a reaction from her. 'What's biting you?'

Weiss looked around uncomfortably. 'It's… stupid.' She muttered.

'It's not stupid if it's bugging you.'

'It's just…'

'Yeeeeeeeeees?'

'You'll be alone for a few days…'

'Go on…'

'With Pyrrha…'

'And…?'

'She's a girl…'

'That she is…'

'You're a guy…'

'That I am…'

'You two loved each other at one time…'

'Well… yeah but, I'm not quite getting the conne-'

'_How is it possible for someone to be this dense?!_'

Jaune jerked backwards, astonished by Weiss' sudden snap. Unshed tears were beginning to form in her eyes. Blinking them furiously away, she crossed her arms and firmly turned towards the window once more, red splotched across her cheeks.

Outside, it was still storming.

Jaune was still confused. Yes, he and Pyrrha had been a thing before they both decided (Pyrrha more so) that the spark just wasn't there. But he didn't understand why Weiss was getting so worked up. After all, in the end he had-

Oh.

_Oh_.

Mother of god, Weiss was right. He was dense. In fact, he was dense enough to make Professor Port look like a godsend. But let's save that story for another time.

'Are you… jealous?'

Weiss gasped.

'Me? J-jealous? Please. A Schnee never gets jealous,' she huffed, affronted.

Jaune grinned.

'You _are_ jealous…' he drawled, drawing closer.

Weiss refused to meet his gaze.

'Come on Weiss, it's written all over your face…'

'Says the person who took _half a century_ to figure it out!'

'So you _are_ jealous!'

'No! I-'

Seeing that she was backed into a corner, the twenty-one year old deflated.

'… And so what if I am?' she muttered bashfully, averting her eyes. Her face matching the red drapes surrounding the complex.

Jaune couldn't help it. He began to laugh. Weiss could only stare at him bemused as wave after wave of laughter erupted out of him.

When he'd finally calmed down, he looked to see Weiss in a crossroads between feeling hurt and bewildered. He leaned in towards her, their faces almost touching.

'You're stupider than I am,' he breathed. 'A feat which I can honestly say is quite the accomplishment, all things considered,' he added.

Before Weiss could raise her voice in protest, he covered her resting hand with his.

Staring into her eyes, his lip curled softly.

'I chose you, remember?'

Weiss coloured once more. Hiding her embarrassment, she buried her face into his chest.

'S-shut up, vomit boy,' she muffled into his shirt.

'Wow. Vomit boy. You really dug deep for that one.'

They sat like that for a while, all whilst the torrent outside showed no signs of slowing.

Finally pulling away, Weiss looked him in the eye.

He smiled.

She smiled back.

Checking his scroll, Jaune sighed. 'Well, I better get going. I gotta finish packing before I meet up with Pyrrha tonight.' Standing up, he offered Weiss his hand.

As she got up, he couldn't help it. 'I might change into my lucky boxer briefs… you know, in case I get some action,' he teased, his eyes glimmering.

The heiress shoved him away. 'You are such a dunce, you know that?' she groaned, the angry effect lost by her lingering mirth.

Laughing again and flicking her on the forehead, Jaune began to move towards the apartment door.

Only to be stopped by a small tug on his sleeve.

He turned around, perplexed by the interruption.

She was staring at the ground, her pale complexion once more colouring pink.

'… It's still raining outside,' she whispered.

'Yeah,' he replied. 'Yeah, it is.'

Still looking downwards, she took a step forward.

'… It'd be really bad for your mission if you got sick before it even started,' she said even more quietly.

'... I suppose it would be,' he ghosted back, the weight of the car keys in his jacket pocket notwithstanding. He took a step forward, closing the distance between them.

'You couldn't do that to Pyrrha. She already has to cover half of your workload.'

'I like to think that she only covers a third on a regular basis.'

Laughter. Short and sweet.

Slowly but surely, she peered up at him.

'So…'

'So…?'

'I think it would be best if you… stayed here a bit longer…'

The distance closed more.

'Just until it stops raining…'

He paused.

'… Pyrrha's gonna be mad if I'm late again.'

'Just a little longer…' she breathed, fingertips touching his face.

The clock ticked onward.

_Tick. Tock._

_Tick._

_Tock._

'… I suppose a little longer couldn't hurt,' he murmured.

'… Good,' she murmured back, closing the gap.

One day, maybe they'll finally find solid ground to stand on. One day, maybe they'll attain the ever after that only existed in fables and fairy tales. One day, maybe they'll live, laugh and love with an entire lifetime ahead of them.

One day, maybe they'll revisit this scene, with a house that's bigger and with weather that's better.

One day, maybe they'll reach this destination - a perfect utopia in a world craving dystopia.

One day, maybe he'll ask her if the journey was worth the reward.

But her answer is not for this day.

And the rain continued to fall.

* * *

_Centimetre Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _Unlike GEP, I find it very hard to… "Deviate" from what is considered canon in a universe. It's not an easy feat, which is why I stick to semi-canonical writing. I tried my best to keep Weiss and Jaune in character. I imagined, based off the two volumes we have, how best each would react and interact towards situations given towards them (though I might have charged Weiss a bit more)._

_Anyway, to answer a question I saw in the reviews - no I do not have a fanfiction account. I tend to cycle through hobbies relatively fast, so there'd be no point in leaving potential followers hanging once I move onto something else. So for now, I've decided to turn this into a series and I'll write entrees for it from time to time. Once I either run out of units of measurement or inspiration, I'll let you know. When it finally comes to it, the final entree to this series will be titled __**Millimetre**__, because you know - symbolism and shit. So when that pops up… yeah._

_Anyway, thank you for the initial feedback. It was very much unexpected. I guess I'll be seeing you guys from time to time._

_-Narutochaos22_

_**P.S.**_ _To the reviewer who goes by Fourze, you mentioned that if GEP was writing this, there'd be bananas involved. That reference is for you, buddy. You're welcome._

_**P.P.S. From GEP**__. I still think it should be "centimeter" instead of "centimetre"._


	3. Foot

**Summary:** _He was never alone. He just needed someone to remind him of that._

**Author's Notes:** _Just in case anyone was wondering - yes, all of these stories under this work are connected. Nothing is truly a 'one-shot' in this series. When it's all done and dusted, I'll post up the chronological order._

**Foot**

**RWBY**

* * *

Jaune blinked.

Blinked.

And blinked again.

'I-I'm sorry?' he stuttered.

Warm green turned to meet piercing blue.

'I honestly didn't think that your hearing was this bad!' she joked, sad smile in tow. 'I said I think we should break up.'

Silence.

To the outsider looking in, it was a match made in heaven. From how they met to how they became partners. From making himself a fool for her at the dance to nervously pecking her on the cheek after the tournament. From how he made her laugh to how she made him smile. Ask any student of Beacon and they would say in an instant that Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos were meant for each other.

Which makes the moment in time in which we hold this scene to be all that more shocking.

They were at the place where they trained, the place where they talked. The place where they laughed, the place where they loved. As the sun continued to set, two figures stood still on the academy's rooftop.

Jaune was rigid. He was completely stunned. Wetting his lips, he tried to speak again.

'You… you want to…' His mind reeled. 'End it?'

'Yes.' There was no bile, no hate, and no anger behind these words. Just a gentle sadness.

The twenty-year-old boy's head throbbed. Shaking off lingering feelings of initial astonishment, he looked her square in the eye.

'Why?' he asked, desperation crawling into his voice. 'Why now?'

'Well…' she said, trailing off.

There was a pause before she spoke again. 'Are you happy, Jaune?'

What kind of question was that? 'What do you-?'

'You're in Beacon, one of the most prestigious schools for budding hunters and huntresses,' she interrupted. 'Granted, you forged documents to get in here, but I'm sure that even Goodwitch would have to admit that you've proven your worth in these three years.'

She carried on. 'You've made many friends here, and made many more from all over the globe. You even got the honour of being named our team leader since day one. And to top it all off, you had me for a girlfriend,' she smiled. 'And I had you for a boyfriend.'

'I don't-'

'The point that I'm making, Jaune,' she cut in again, wincing. 'Sorry, please just let me finish. The point that I'm making is, with everything that you have – are you happy?'

Jaune's answer was instantaneous. 'Yes.'

'Do you think that this is the happiest that you could ever be?'

Again, instant. 'Yes.'

A wistful sigh. 'But can you know that for sure?'

'That's simple, I-'

He stopped and racked his brain for an answer. A reason. Anything. Nothing came.

'I… just do.'

'Do you?'

His mind blurred. Every moment, every touch. Every smile, every stare. It all made him happy. He was happy. He should have known the answer.

_But do you?_ his mind implored.

_Yes!_ he argued back.

_But if you truly knew the answer, then why did you second guess yourself?_

_I… I don't know._

'Jaune?'

The melody of her voice brought him back to reality. Jerking out of his reverie, he stared hard at the ground.

'… No,' he muttered, refusing to meet her eyes. 'No, I don't know for sure.'

The silence was maddening. Jaune wanted to do something, anything. But his body wouldn't move. He felt too much shame. He felt too much guilt. _Coward_, he screamed to himself. _Coward!_

_Drip._

A small gasp finally caused his eyes to shoot up.

_Drip._

She was crying.

_Drip. Drip._

'Pyrrha…' Something was strangling his throat. Something was restraining his body. _Move_, his mind pleaded. _MOVE!_

'Pyrrha…' he repeated weakly.

'No! Don't worry.' she said hastily. 'Sorry, I've been interrupting you a lot this evening.' A hiccup. 'I'm not crying because I'm heartbroken or anything… well, I suppose I kind of am.' A laugh.

_Drip._

_Drop._

'It's just…' she struggled as she wiped her eyes. 'I guess I'm also a bit relieved.'

_Drop._

'Because I was so terrified that I was the only one feeling this way.'

_Drop. Drop._

'You mean you…'

'Yes,' she said. 'My answer is the same as yours.'

_Drop._

Another exhale. 'I was so worried that I was the only one feeling this way. I didn't want to hold it in anymore, so…'

She stared at Jaune. A warm smile enveloped her. 'And so here we are.'

Jaune scrubbed his face, a matching grin soon forming too. 'Here we are.'

There was silence again. Not the awkward tension that had loomed over them moments before. A comfortable one. It rested on their shoulders as their feelings simmered down and rationality once more entered the equation.

'So…' he said. 'I guess you don't wanna work through it?'

She shook her head. 'I've been giving it a lot of thought, and I think it's better if we just ended it.'

'You really don't want to?'

'Well, I guess it's more of…' she mused. 'This was the first relationship for both of us. We haven't gone out and experienced much more outside of that. And besides, we're young!' she chuckled. 'We're barely adults! What do we know about what defines a _proper _relationship?'

He laughed. It was true. Every single thing she said was true.

'Don't worry, I don't plan to change teams or partners or anything. You guys are like a family to me. And who knows?' she added. 'Maybe someday down the road, you'll be single and I'll be single, and then…'

'And then?' he pressed.

'… And then maybe we can try again.'

Jaune couldn't help it. He laughed again. Not in jest or in bitterness, but in defeat.

'Alright then,' he said, extending his arm. 'I'll hold you to it, Miss Nikos.'

With a twinkle in her eye she shook his hand. 'I'd expect nothing less, Mister Arc.'

'Friends?'

A tinkle of laughter. 'Friends,' Pyrrha said.

With nothing further to discuss or do, the red haired beauty brushed past him. Perhaps the next few days would be awkward for the both of them. Maybe for the next few weeks, months even. But somewhere deep down, both he and she knew that odds are that they'll probably be alright. Time may destroy, but it also heals.

Before she got too far out of earshot, Jaune couldn't help himself. Turning around, he called out, 'Pyrrha!'

Light footsteps ceased their movement. 'Yes, Jaune?'

'… I love you.' And he did indeed mean that. Feelings for the lady who had given him a chance out of a million still ran hot through his veins.

She didn't turn. Lord knows that if she did that his and her resolves would crumble and they'd engage in one mistake too many. No. Jaune would look back in his older days and admit that it was better this way.

'I love you too,' she called back. 'See you at training tomorrow.'

* * *

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Mother of Remnant, he was going to bash that clock's brains in.

A rampant sigh escaped his mouth. Jaune lay alone back at JNPR's dormitory. Pyrrha was nowhere to be found. He had spotted Ren and Nora earlier at the cafeteria, engaged in a heated conversation (Well, Nora more so. Ren had probably turned his attentiveness setting to passive) about sloths or pancakes or whatever else plagued Nora's mind. Not wanting to mess with their rapport, Jaune left them alone.

Which brings us once more to this present case.

It had only been hours since the break-up, and Jaune was already restless. His eyes scanned the empty dormitory, looking for something to fill the aching gap. But alas, there was nothing. He was alone.

_God_ that was a depressing thought.

The blonde kicked himself out of bed. There was no point to mope or host a pity party of one. It'd be better to keep himself busy. Yes. Perhaps a trip to the library? Apparently a new issue of the comic he adored had hit the shelves a few days ago.

Right then.

Thrusting open the door, Jaune turned the corner.

'Hey, watch it!'

Only to nearly collide with a certain silvery-haired heiress.

'Weiss?' he blinked. 'What are you doing out here?'

Said person of interest was currently adorned in her sleeping gown, a big long jacket draped over the top of it to help keep her warm and modest. Her hair was loosely tied back into a messy ponytail. Living with the rest of RWBY for the past three years had definitely loosened her up, so to speak. The Weiss who was seventeen wouldn't be caught dead looking like the Weiss who was nineteen, especially in public.

'I just came back from the cafeteria,' she grimaced. 'Tonight's game night, and I picked the short stick. So, I'm their-' She cocked her head towards her dorm room. '-butler for the night.'

Ah. 'I see. My condolences.'

'Yeah…' The heiress sighed before turning back to him, inquisitive. 'What about you, what are you doing?'

'I'm headed to the library.'

'To do what?'

A loose shrug. 'I dunno. Maybe read a comic or two.'

A wry smile. 'Bad news, vomit boy-'

'You do something _once_ by accident and it stick with you for a lifetime, huh?'

'-but a certain cookie-loving dolt we both know and love checked out the latest issue.'

His mouth hung open in shock. 'But surely there's-?'

She shook her head. 'It was the last one.'

'But when did she-?'

'A few hours ago.'

'But there's got to be-?'

'There were only two available at the library, and both are now checked out.'

'Blasphemy! Blasphemy I say!' he mourned, cradling his head in his hands.

He heard her cackle. Good lord he was friends with a sadist.

'Well then,' he sighed. 'I guess I'll be seeing you.' He took a step forward.

'Hold up a minute!' And promptly a step backward.

'Yes, Ice Queen?'

'_Stop calling me that._'

'Uh, I hate to be the one to break it to you, but everyone's been calling you that.'

'Haha. Very funny.'

'So, why the stop?'

Weiss shrugged. 'Well…' she started. 'The latest issue isn't at the library.'

'Thank you for reminding me.'

'Ruby has one of the copies.'

'By all means, keep twisting that knife.'

Weiss glowered.

'… I'll stop now.'

'Good,' she said. 'Now as I was saying, Ruby has one of the copies. So why don't you come over?'

A pause. 'You sure that's okay?'

'I don't see why it wouldn't be.' A smirk. 'Besides, you'd be surrounded by four pretty girls. That's like every teenage hormonal boy's dream.'

'Strange, I can only _three_ pretty girls.'

_Slap._

'… I deserved that.' How she managed to do that with both of her hands occupied, he will never know.

'Honestly though,' she said. 'To quote Yang, _the only rule of game night is to not not be having fun_.'

'Well…'

'It'll do you some good. Cheer you up, even.'

Curiosity. 'How'd you know that I-?'

'To my greatest displeasure, we've been friends for the better part of two years,' she said dryly. 'You learn to pick up on these things after a while. Now are you coming or what? My arms are getting tired, and I really _don't_ want to be on the receiving end of Ruby's puppy-dog eyes because her cookies are all over the floor.'

Fair point. 'Well, alright then.'

'Good. Open the door for me.'

Turning the doorknob and pushing the door open, Jaune was met with a myriad of noises.

'Y-Yang! Blake's bullying me!'

'Dammit Blakey, _hold still for a moment_ would ya?!'

'… It's not really my fault that both of you suck at this.'

The sisters could only watched in bewilderment and awe as Avatar Blake single-handedly launched the both of them off the screen.

'Ruby! That was totally on you!'

'Me? You're the one who keeps charging in!'

'You both ran into my super. The fault lies with both of you.'

'_Oh look just became a whole lot more sassy!_'

Weiss sighed. 'This. This is my team,' she said exasperatedly.

Three heads immediately snapped in their direction.

'Weiss!' Ruby wailed. 'What took you so long?' Like a wounded puppy, she scuffled towards her. 'Blake's too good at this game, we need y-oh look, cookies!' She began to salivate.

'What's up Jauney-boy?' Yang called from the floor. Shifting her eyes to Weiss, she sniggered. 'Weiss, bringing home a boy? At this time of night? What would Neptune have to say about this?'

'Yang!' Weiss blushed.

Blake smirked. Even Jaune couldn't help but chuckle, raising his hands in surrender when the heiress turned to glare at him.

'Honestly,' Weiss huffed, trying her best to keep a pawing Ruby from toppling the tray. 'I leave for a few moments and the whole room's gone to hell. _Dammit Ruby_, act your age.'

'B-But Weiss… cookies,' the teenage girl whimpered.

'Uh…' Jaune started, clearing his throat to get everyone's attention. 'I was on my way to the library when I bumped into Weiss. She invited me to come here, and since I had nothing better to do…'

Blake's cat ears twitched. 'You had nothing better to do _than go to the library?_'

'Now now, Blakey,' Yang said, patting her shoulder solemnly. 'Let's not argue over spilt milk.'

'Seriously?' Blake groaned.

Turning back to Jaune, Yang grinned. 'Well then, vomit boy-' she began.

'Oh for _crying out loud_ Yang-!'

'-pull out your scroll and connect to the damn screen.' Her irises glinted red. 'Maybe with you in the game, I'll finally be able to kill someone.'

'Is that a challenge, Xiao Long?'

'You're goddamn right it is, Arc.'

'Come on Jaune! Play with us!'

'I mean it's not like the library was _fun enough for you_.'

'Blake!'

'I'm just saying, how hard is it to find a book, _sit down_, _shut up_, and _read_?'

'Not everyone has the same tastes, Belladonna.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot that I have a brick wall for a partner.'

'Oh, it is _so_ on right now!'

'_Guys…_'

Weiss resignedly looked up at him. 'Well?' she prompted. 'You in?'

Jaune stared at the spectacle in front of him. Blake and Yang were shouting each other's ears off while Ruby had scampered in between them, trying to keep the peace. The earlier events of tonight suppressed themselves into a corner, making room for the surge of happiness that coursed through him.

'_You've made many friends here, and made many more from all over the globe.'_

Pyrrha was right. He was never alone. He just needed someone to remind him of that.

He stared back down at Weiss. 'Well, I can't exactly leave you to the wolves, now can I?'

Another wry smile. 'Wolves? Try bears.'

Walking towards the pack, she called out, 'Do you guys want your food or not?'

'Cookies!'

'We are _so_ not done here, Belladonna.'

'Save it for the match, Xiao Long.'

With her hands now free, the heiress strode back to Jaune.

'Come on,' she urged, tugging him forward. 'I want to at least play a match before having to restock their appetites.'

A grin broke onto his face. '… Okay.'

He stepped through the door.

* * *

_Foot Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _I honestly didn't quite know where to go with this. Like, I knew what my plot points were and what I wanted to happen, I just didn't know how to make them happen. Sorry, I'll do better next time._

_Anyway, this is how I envisioned how, if Jaune and Pyrrha were to ever break up, that this is how they'd do it. There's be no bad guy in the equation because they've both been written in the show as clean cut good guys. Bear in mind that I have no ill will towards Pyrrha or the pairing. Though not in my list of top five favourite characters, she's still ranked pretty high._

_You might have picked up on how I didn't mention Pyrrha by name for a while. I simply referred to her as "she" or "her". Though in third person, most chapters are written from Jaune's perspective. I was trying to convey that because Jaune's relationship with he was dynamically changing, he didn't know what she was to him, and so he could only refer to her as such. When he finds a new equilibrium, she's referred to as Pyrrha again._

_Something to also note is that this work is not chronological. I'll be jumping all over the spectrum, making a story where I see fit. It's too much of a challenge to make a continuous narrative, and I feel that you guys would eventually see a decline in quality if I were to take that avenue._

_Anyway, that's it from me. This is a tad long. Remember to keep it real._

_-Narutochaos22_

**_P.S._** _To those interested. 1. Weiss, 2. Oobleck, 3. Torchwick, 4. Blake, 5. Jaune._

**_P.P.S._** _Again, to those interested. In this chapter they're playing the Remnant equivalent of Smash Bros. In chapter 1, Jaune and Weiss were playing the equivalent of Little Big Planet._

**_P.P.P.S._** _GEP's still alive. I promise I haven't killed him or anything… yet. He's just been a bit busy as of late._


	4. Hectometre

**Summary: **_From the beginning, he had seen her for who she was. That's what mattered most to her._

**Author's Notes:** _Rewiiiiiiind the clock. Rewiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind._

**Hectometre**

**RWBY**

* * *

'Ask him.'

'No.'

'Why not?'

'Because.'

'Because…?'

'Just because!'

It was a lazy afternoon. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the Zwei was barking. Yes, it was a very lazy afternoon. A very peaceful afternoon. A very quiet afternoon. After all the hustle and bustle of Grimm hunts and exams, it was a refreshing change of pace. One could never ask for such a utopia. Ah, bliss.

'Weiss…'

'_What_?!'

Well, it wasn't really bliss. It wasn't really bliss at all.

The blonde boy sighed, weaving his hands through his hair. 'You're being stubborn,' Jaune said tiredly.

'I am not!' the heiress snapped in annoyance, folding her arms. Her diamond gaze narrowed towards the young Arc, ever challenging him.

Had this been their first year at Beacon, Jaune would have cowered before the impending wrath of the white witch. But, halfway through the first semester of their second year, the knight in training had gotten used to such treatment and was able to remain unperturbed when subjected to the death gaze.

Well, mostly.

Raising his hands in defence, the boy shifted backwards. 'Whoa! Easy there Ice Que-'

Weiss growled.

'Was I going to say Ice Queen? No… I meant to say Weiss. Yeah, Weeiiiiiss,' Jaune said nervously, backtracking even more.

Scratch mostly. Simply put, when it came to Weiss and her patented glare, Jaune was a flat out wuss.

'I'm j-just saying,' he stuttered. 'What's keeping you from telling Neptune you like him?'

'I do not like-!' The white-haired princess blushed redder than Ruby's cloak.

Recovering from his near death ordeal, Jaune lowered his protective cushion, uprighting himself once more on the common room's couch. Yes, 'tis the common room in which we hold this scene. Contrary to his nature, Professor Peter Port had let them out early, saying he was meeting with "a black haired vixen" to discuss whether or not it was considered ethical to keep boarbatusks as household pets.

Needless to say, none of the students wanted to stick around for _that_ conversation to happen… _again_.

But, as it was the last period for the day, and dinner wasn't to be served for a few more hours, needless to say everyone had free time on their hands. Blake had opted for the library while Ruby and Yang went out to the fields to play with Zwei (hence the barking). On Jaune's end, Ren had been dragged off to Vale by Nora, and Pyrrha had been called into Ozpin's office to talk about the tournament.

And so, this is how our unlikely duo ended up together in the common room. Conversation had become easy and more natural to the two of them over the past few months. Granted, Weiss still demanded that there be two feet between them at all times. As she had put it, her personal bubble "deserved twice as much space". Glad that he'd somehow befriended the frosty, frigid student, Jaune had happily obliged to such a stipulation.

And everything was going well until a certain blue haired "stud" from Mistral became a subject of interest.

Which now brings us to why a certain heiress was blooming red at the notion of there being mutual attraction.

Seeing an opportunity to gain more ground, the eighteen-year-old leaned in slightly. 'I dare you to say that with a straight face,' he said dryly.

'I don't-!'

'Weiss, hate to be the one to break it to you, but everyone knows that you're crushing on him. _Hard_.'

'… It's complicated, okay?'

'You like him. He likes you. What's so complicated about that?'

'_Says the guy who took a whole year to realise his partner was in love with him!_'

Jaune blinked. 'Touché.' It had been after the tournament. One sloppy kiss and a shaky confession of attraction later, and he and the red haired goddess had become an item. And of course, in their immediate friend group it had been Weiss who had given him the most grief over being _so incredibly slow_.

Like seriously, what the hell Jaune. You're literally living _every_ teenage boy's dream right now.

'Jaune!'

'Huh?'

'Snap out of it!'

'O-oh, sorry.' The young man scratched his head. The last few months with Pyrrha had been amazing, to say the least. So amazing, that he'd even subconsciously daydream about her whenever she was brought up in conversation. Jaune honestly didn't know that such a level of happiness could even exist in this world.

'Well,' he coughed, starting again. 'What I was getting at is that it doesn't _have_ to be complicated.'

'But it is!' Weiss moaned, burying her face in her hands.

Silence befell the both of them.

Sensing that there was something bigger bothering her, Jaune reached for her shoulder. 'Weiss…'

'_Two feet._'

And immediately retracted backwards. 'What's eating at you?'

The heiress scoffed. 'Nothing's eating at me!'

'If it was nothing, then you'd be scrolling Neptune right now, asking if he wanted to go see a movie in the weekend. You're upfront like that,' he said plainly.

The heiress remained still.

'Come on,' Jaune said, leaning back. 'Something's gotta be the matter.'

With a sigh, the heiress emerged from her cocoon. Picking at her uniform blazer, she muttered something under her breath.

'Weiss, while I have yet to discover what my semblance is, I can almost definitely assure you that it isn't super hearing.'

Azure turned to meet cobalt. 'I don't want him to like me because of _who_ and _what_ my family is!' she burst, ghosts of tears forming in her irises.

Jaune was confused. 'Who your family is?'

'Yes!'

'The Schnee family?'

'Yes!'

'Uh…' Jaune cocked his head. 'Is your family made of important people or something?'

'Ye- wait, what?'

Weiss was taken aback. 'You haven't heard of my family?' she exclaimed, surprised.

'Up until a year ago, I had no idea that my girlfriend was the face of the cereal brand that I ate,' he laughed wryly. 'Enlighten me.'

'You honestly haven't heard of the Schnee Dust Corporation?'

'Of course I have!'

'…'

'Wait… you're the same Schnee?'

'Uh, duh?' Weiss shook her head in bewilderment. 'It's not like Schnee's a common last name, you know.'

'It's not?'

'How many Schnee's do you know?'

'Just you.'

'How many Schnee's have you heard of until now?'

'Just your family.'

'I rest my case.'

'… Huh,' Jaune mused. 'The more you know, I guess.'

'You're a special kind of stupid, you know that?'

'I prefer the term, "hermit".'

'Anyway,' the heiress sighed. 'All my life, boys have only cared about the perks that came with my last name. My father would bring over suitors to dinner, but they were never interested in me,' she spat venomously. 'All they saw was the fame and fortune that would come from keeping me on their leash. It sickened me then, and it still sickens me now.'

She looked off into the fireplace. 'I just want someone to like me for me.' Her voice trembled. 'No double agendas, no ulterior motives… just me.'

Silence once again reigned free. It was a stifling silence, completely suffocating the atmosphere. It was quite some time later until Jaune spoke up.

'You know,' he said gently, 'I talked with Neptune on the night of the dance.'

Weiss didn't turn. 'Oh?'

'Uh huh,' Jaune continued. 'I'm probably breaking half a dozen rules of the bro code right now, but do you know what he said about you?'

She shook her head.

'He said that although he didn't know you that well yet, that to him, you were pretty cool,' he grinned. 'Considering how he lives and breathes being "cool", I'd say that's a pretty tall compliment coming from him. No pun intended,' he added hastily.

Weiss couldn't help but laugh at that. 'He does have his quirks,' she smiled fondly.

Her brow furrowed. 'Wait.'

'Mm?'

She turned towards Jaune. 'If you didn't know anything about me and my name, then why did you like me?' she asked.

Jaune spluttered. 'I'm not sure that's a-'

'Come on, humour me!' Her eyes were shining with curiosity.

'W-well…' he said, looking off the side.

'You were cold.'

'Huh?'

'Like reaaaaally cold.'

Weiss blinked. 'Thank you?'

'But I knew there was more to you than that,' Jaune smiled softly. 'You were smart and talented too. If didn't end up in RWBY, it wouldn't surprise me if you ended up leading your own team. You aced all of your classes and treated all of your friends with respect. You had your insecurities, but you tried your best to work through them.

'In your quieter moments, you were kind and graceful. You were so…' he paused. 'Beautiful. The perfect package. The ideal girl of every boy's dreams.'

He turned to face her, still smiling. 'Anyone would be lucky to be with you,' he said softly.

Weiss' complexion was once again flushing beet red.

'… I poured it on a little thick, huh?'

Turning back towards the fireplace, the mortified heiress bobbed her head up and down, refusing to make eye contact. Realising his mistake, Jaune quickly began searching for an out.

'That said,' he said quickly. 'That was in the past. I was kinda silly back then, you know? And besides, I love Pyrrha now. Speaking of her, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell her I said- Whoa!'

In his haste to ease Weiss' discomfort, the unfortunate knight ended up sprawling onto the carpet.

'A-are you okay?' the heiress asked, still intently looking into the flames.

'Oh, I'm great,' Jaune groaned. 'It's just my dignity that's been shattered.'

'No, no!' Weiss shook her head. 'It was sweet! I just… didn't expect that.'

'For me to be completely cheesy, or for me to make out with the carpet?'

'A little bit of both, really.'

'Oh _haha_, great to know the court jester satisfied the Ice Queen's need for entertainment,' he deadpanned.

'Well… from how I see it, you're entertaining the rug more so than I.'

'_Gasp!_ Who'd have thought that you of all people dappled in dirty humour?'

'It's a necessary evil. I only hope that your rug children take after their mother.'

'Are you calling me ugly?'

'I'm calling you stupid _and_ ugly.'

'Why I never! Cover your ears, dearie. _Her Majesty's_ bad-mouthing our son!'

'Jaune, I'm sorry to say this, but I overheard the rug-'

'My wife. What are you, rugcist now?'

'Sorry, _your wife_,' she corrected. 'I heard her and the lamp going at it in the broom closet the other day.'

'N-no! W-what are you saying?!'

'Jaune, I'm sorry to say this but-'

'Please, _Your Majesty_! Say it isn't so!'

'You are_ not_ the father.'

'No!' he cried, flinging himself onto the ground. 'She told me that I was the only fibre in her life, and that she didn't need any other carpet. I thought she loved me!'

Weiss was sombre. 'I am so sorry.'

'Lies, lies, all lies!' Jaune sat up with tears in his eyes. Reaching for an invisible hankie, he pretended to blow his nose into it. 'Why must all the women in my life tangle me in their web of lies?!'

Silence.

They turned to look at each other.

More silence.

A smirk.

A grin.

And it was only a moment later before the common room was rich with laughter. Jaune had fallen back and collapsed to his side, becoming boneless in his euphoria. Weiss had buried her face into a cushion, trying her best to stifle her rampant giggles.

'Told you I was a good actor,' Jaune finally wheezed as the laughter died down.

'I stand corrected,' Weiss said, her pupils glimmering with mirth.

Hoisting himself back to the couch, Jaune sank back into its cushiony goodness. 'So…' he started.

Wiping tears from her eyes, the heiress smiled. 'So…' she replied.

'You gonna ask him out?'

Once more, their eyes met. 'What if I stuff up and get it wrong?' she asked, worry and nervousness creeping into her voice.

'Well,' Jaune said. 'Someone once told me that you can't get it wrong if it's the truth.'

'Wow, that's deep.'

'Mmhmm.'

'Pyrrha gives some pretty sound advice.'

'How'd you-?'

Weiss gave him a pointed stare.

'… Yeah,' he grinned, thinking of his crimson-haired girlfriend. 'Yeah, she does.'

Noticing the darkness outside, Jaune peered at his scroll. 'Well, it's time for dinner,' he said as he got up. Offering his hand to Weiss, he put on a thick accent. 'Well then Miss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Corporation,' he boomed. 'As your butler it is my duty to escort you to the place of eating.'

'You do know that cafeteria_ is_ in a posh man's vocabulary, right?' she quipped dryly as she took his hand.

'Dammit Weiss, don't make me break character!'

'You're such a dunce, you know that?'

'May I take _m'lady_ to the cafeteria?'

'Seriously?'

'_May I take m'lady to the cafeteria?_' he emphasised.

A defeated sigh. 'You're hopeless.'

'I'm sorry _m'lady_, I couldn't quite hear you.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Very well then, _Jaune_.' she simpered, straightening her back. 'I demand you take me there.'

Bowing before her, Jaune began to walk out of the common room, his arms folded behind his back. Weiss followed closely behind, lost in thought.

She was amazed by what she had discovered today. She'd always regarded Jaune as a lost puppy, who'd latched onto her because of her preceding reputation. But today she had discovered that she was completely wrong about him. Well, for the most part anyway.

From the beginning, he had seen her for who she was. That's what mattered most to her.

'Hey, Jaune?'

'_M'lady_?'

Brushing past him, she called over her shoulder.

'One foot.'

* * *

_Hectometre Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _I can't help but feel that there was a wasted opportunity here by not calling this chapter "Foot"._

_Anyway, I like spending time at Beacon with these two. You guys won't really care about chapters set in the future if I don't first establish that they were friends before lovers. It's fun to write them. I like to think that I've somewhat got a better grasp of their canonical selves, so it should be smoother sailing from here on in. If you feel that there is something off about this interpretation, feel free to let me know. Criticism is key to sharpening skills, after all._

_Right, onto this chapter. The premise was actually inspired by a post I saw on /r/rwby by the user "iamthatguy54". He said that Jaune comes off as the kind of guy who'd be completely oblivious to Weiss' connection to the Schnee Dust Company. The user "Crocodilefan" replied to this, saying that this could spark Weiss' attraction to him. And for the most part, I agree with them. Actually, you know what? Fuck it, Jaune/Weiss is true endgame. (__」゜ロ゜__)__」_

_To those interested in the link, /r/RWBY/comments/2f7hlu/its_hard_being_a_jauneweiss_fan_lol/ - have fun typing that out._

_By the way, about me changing from imperial units to metric every other chapter. It's to maximise the number of chapters I could potentially write. Yep._

**_P.S._**_ If any of you are wondering, I have no immediate plans to write Jaune's confession to Pyrrha. You need only look to the rest of the fandom for something to humour you. Pyrrha's hard to write._

**_P.P.S._**_ Port talks about a "black haired vixen" in this chapter. This is a subtle reference to one of GEP's other works called 'Passing a Test'._

**_P.P.P.S. _**_In my head canon, Jaune was born in November. Weiss was born a year later in March._

**_P.P.P.P.S._**_ I repeat, GEP is alive. I swear these gloves came with the red pattern already on it. Why am I wearing white latex gloves, you may ask? Well that's a long story…_


	5. Mile

**Summary:** _Maybe at the end of it all, they'll find their way back home._

**Author's Notes:** _Apologies for the inactivity. I've been mapping how this unfolds in my head. No concrete promises, but this will go on for at least a few more chapters. That said, I've decided not to keep things in chronological order. It's now more of a… stylistic choice, if you will._

**Mile**

**RWBY**

* * *

'Sit.'

'You sure? I mean, there's still a lot to-'

'Jaune.'

'Pyrrha.'

The redhead in question gave the thirty-five-year-old a humorous glance. 'You're dead on your feet,' she chided. '_Sit_.'

A defeated sigh. 'Fine,' the knight relented. 'But we can't stay long. We have an early start tomorrow.'

It had been many years since Jaune had set foot in Atlas. The rising numbers of Grimm in Vacuo had kept Pyrrha and himself busy, hunting down nests and dens while helping with renovation and fortification. It'd been a hard fought battle, but the number of dark creatures hampering the daily lives of the citizens had finally begun to thin.

However, there had been recent reports of spikes of Grimm in the region of Mantle. With the situation having cooled down in Vacuo, Ruby had insisted that the pair join her. Having fought alongside them nonstop, she never really had the time to visit the rest of her team back in Atlas. Although hesitant at first, both Pyrrha and Jaune eventually succumbed to her wishes once she activated puppy-eye mode.

Let's be honest: whether she's fifteen or thirty-three, one does not simply resist Ruby's puppy-eye mode.

And with one thing leading to another, just hours after arriving and checking in at a hotel, Jaune and Pyrrha had found themselves at the downstairs bar. Ruby had left them be, and had scarpered off to the Schnee Dust Company, eager to reunite with her closest friends.

Taking a sip of his pint, Jaune sighed. 'You'd think that you'd have _less_ energy as you got older, not _more_,' he muttered irritably.

A hearty laugh. 'Oh, let her be,' Pyrrha smiled. 'She hasn't seen her sister in _years_.'

Shaking his head, the not-as-young Arc downed his beer, then proceeded to beckon the bartender for a refill. The bar itself was surprisingly quiet. Small groups were scattered here and there, all engrossed in light chatter.

Pyrrha's lip curled. 'You seem on edge,' she joked.

Jaune spluttered. 'M-me? On edge? Of course not,' he defended, raising the glass to his lips once more.

'Really?' The red-headed woman's eyes glimmered. 'So you're totally _not_ antsy about being in the same kingdom as a _certain_ lady?'

'Nope,' he said, feigning ignorance. 'No idea what you're talking about.'

'White hair, snappy dresser, heir to a certain dust-producing company?'

'Doesn't ring a bell.'

'_Jaune_…' Pyrrha sighed.

'_Pyrrha_,' Jaune grimaced. 'She and I… we… I burned that bridge. And besides,' he added. 'It's not a big deal anymore. We both agreed to move on.'

Seeing that he wasn't going to talk any further about it, Pyrrha dropped the subject. 'Okay then,' she smiled gently, punching him on the shoulder. 'I understand.'

Jaune relaxed. 'Thanks,' he said gratefully.

Looking for another topic to breach, Pyrrha began to speak again. 'So-' she started, before being cut off by her scroll going off. Opening her tablet, she curiously glanced at the received message. Intrigued, Jaune watched her from over his glass.

Looking up at him, Pyrrha gave a small chuckle. 'Sorry,' she said. 'Looks like I have to step out early.' She reached for her glass and slapped down some lien.

Jaune looked at her searchingly. 'Your boyfriend?' he guessed.

She held a finger to her lips. 'It's none of your business,' she teased.

Getting up and brushing herself off, she began to walk towards the elevator. 'Don't stay too long,' she called over her shoulder. 'We _do_ have an early start, after all.'

'Oh _haha_, very funny,' Jaune replied dryly, signalling for another beer.

He was halfway through his third drink before he felt a presence beside him.

'You need a haircut,' the presence murmured.

Jaune blinked. 'Shouldn't you be with Ruby?'

'No,' the presence said. 'She's busy catching up with Yang. I'll go back once the excitement levels die down.'

'I see,' Jaune smirked. He could just imagine how loud it must be over there. To put it bluntly, if Ruby and Yang were locked together in a soundproof room, you'd only be able to _barely_ hear them from three floors down. 'And so you came to find me? I'm charmed.'

The presence laughed quietly. 'I don't remember _funny_ being a word to describe you last we met.' Blake smiled softly as she sat down. 'It's good to see you, Jaune.' She frowned. 'But seriously, get a haircut.'

Jaune gave her a pained look. 'It's been _eight_ years, and the first thing you say to me is that my hair's too long?'

The Faunus rolled her eyes. 'Fine then, don't cut it,' she said, rapping her knuckles on the bar to get the bartender's attention.

'Well, that's new,' Jaune started, eyeing the beverage. 'You used to only drink on special occasions.'

'You saying that your return isn't special?' Blake's eyes flashed with mirth. 'Considering how stressful this job is, Yang finally convinced me to "take it easy" and not burn myself out.' She pointed at her glass. 'This was one of her methods.'

A laugh. 'Yang's still Yang, I take it?'

A laugh reciprocated. 'Yeah. She is.'

Silence lulled between them once more, broken only by the clinks and the chatters of glass meeting lips.

Finishing his drink, Jaune decided to cut himself off. He'd rather not hunt with a hangover. He turned towards his darkly clothed companion. 'So, how is it?' he asked. 'Being a bodyguard?'

A shrug. 'Like I said, it's stressful,' she said. 'It's not as bad as it used to be. Tensions between the company and the White Fang have simmered down some.' She chortled bitterly. 'Surprisingly, after all this time, it seems Adam's finally ready to talk.

'Sometimes I miss being a huntress. I know Yang does too… but we both know that we're doing a lot more good here.' Blake looked off to the side, her voice distant. 'We're so close to equal rights… I never thought I'd see the day.'

Jaune smiled. 'It's been a long time coming, huh?'

'Yeah…' the Faunus smiled back. 'How about you? What was it like in Vacuo?'

'Well…' Jaune started.

Time ticked by as Jaune relayed the past eight years. The Grimm they faced, the lives that were lost… all of it. In turn, Blake told him of the happenings in the political situation, White Fang activity, and the various changes undergoing in the corporation.

'Wow,' Blake mused. 'Who'd have thought that _vomit boy_-'

'It's been nearly _twenty years_ and you guys _still_ won't let that go.'

Blake laughed. 'I'm just surprised is all. You were the dark horse for most of our Beacon days until you activated your semblance.' Her brow quirked. 'Added with your partialness towards being a tactician, I can see why many regard the Arc family as having one of the best lineages.'

Jaune stared at her. 'A-are you complimenting me?'

Blake knocked him on the head. 'I'm saying you've worked hard to get where you are now. Don't let it inflate your ego.'

Jaune grinned. 'Too late.'

The two friends smiled at each other. That is, until Blake's faltered.

Jaune was quizzical. 'What's up?' he inquired, puzzled by her change of demeanour.

Blake stared at him seriously. 'You shouldn't be having this conversation with me.'

Jaune looked at her tiredly. 'Not you too.'

'You should be having this conversation with _her_.'

Jaune squared his jaw and looked away. 'I've already said it to Pyrrha and I'll say it to you. She and I can't go back.'

'Not even as friends?'

'No,' he whispered, mostly to himself. 'No, not even that.'

Eight years. Ninety-six months. Four hundred and seventeen weeks. Two thousand, nine hundred and twenty-two days. At the end of the day, it didn't matter. Time was time. And every year he didn't reach out to her was another year wasted. And yet, he couldn't forget her. Even in the darkest moments in Vacuo, he's remember her. How she laughed at his crappy jokes, how she teased him about his "nerdy" tendencies… every year they were further apart, but every year she also came closer to his heart.

'How is she?' he blurted out.

'She's doing fine.'

'You making sure she's eating well? She had a bad habit of skipping meals back then.'

'Yang locks her in the kitchen three times a day.'

'Is she in a meeting now? Is it okay for you to be here?'

'Sun's with her now. Don't worry, I specifically chose him as my backup.'

'Has she…' Jaune's throat got stuck. _Has she moved on?_

'She's been too busy running the company.' Blake patted his shoulder reassuringly.

'… I see,' he muttered.

There was a pause before she spoke up again. '… She misses you.'

Guilt panged inside him. 'Did she tell you and Yang that?'

'No.'

'Then how do you-?'

'Whenever she has time, or when things get too stressful, she'll excuse herself. She'll take Yang and I to a quiet place in the park, and then she'll just… sit there. She doesn't cry,' Blake added, seeing his face. 'She hasn't cried since the day you left.' Venom entered her voice. She winced and looked at him apologetically. 'Sorry.'

'It's fine.' He deserved her ire.

'Anyway, she'll just sit there and close her eyes. She doesn't make a sound. She just leans back and listens. Sometimes she'll bring bread with her and feed the birds, but most of the time she just sits there quietly by herself. Then, once she's had enough, she gets up and asks us to bring her back to HQ.' Blake looked him square in the eye. 'But before we leave, she'll always look in Vacuo's direction,' she said softly. 'That's how I know.'

Jaune slumped forward. '… I see,' he repeated.

His brow furrowed. 'Wait.' He turned to face his Faunus friend. 'You're telling me all of this because you _don't_ want me to see her?'

Blake nodded slowly. 'You'd be a distraction,' she said gently. 'We can't have that. Not now. Especially since the three of you are leaving tomorrow.'

Realisation dawned on him. 'You scrolled Pyrrha.'

'Yes.'

'Figures,' Jaune sighed for what seemed to be the umpteenth time today. 'Well then, I guess I can't see her.' He paused. 'On record? I didn't plan to anyway. I know what's at stake for your people…" Another sigh. "I know that seeing her would probably mess things up.'

'She'd probably kill you anyway.' Blake said wryly.

Jaune laughed. 'Yeah, she probably would.'

The bar was starting to close up. Putting down enough lien to cover both Blake's (despite her initial refusal) and his drinks, Jaune walked with her to the outside of the hotel.

'Well,' Blake started, looking at her scroll. 'They're probably expecting me.' Looking up at Jaune, she smirked. 'Take care of yourself, _vomit boy_.'

Jaune grinned. 'Yeah, you too.'

As she started to walk away, Jaune couldn't help himself. He called out, 'Blake?'

The Faunus swivelled. 'Yes?' she called back.

'… I'm sorry,' he said. 'Truly. I am.'

Blake smiled softly. 'You shouldn't be having this conversation with me,' she repeated. And then she was gone, leaving Jaune to his own devices.

The man in question stared up into the sky, eyeing the stars and deep in thought. She missed him. He didn't deserve it, but she missed him… and he missed her too. But now wasn't the right time for a reunion. No. Blake was right - too much was at stake. Remnant was on the brink of a revolution - heavens damn him should he do anything prevent that change from happening.

And who knows? Maybe at the end of it all, they'll find their way back home.

With new resolve, he went back inside the hotel. Tomorrow was going to be a hell of a day.

* * *

'_And where have you been?_'

Blake stiffened as Weiss stormed towards her in the main foyer and seized both of her arms. 'I… was out having a drink,' she said slowly. 'Why, what's happened?'

'What's _happened_?' Weiss hissed. 'I'll tell you what's happened!'

She pointed haphazardly at the ceiling. It sounded like a warzone. 'You left them alone _together_?' she fumed. 'Do you _want_ this building to implode?'

Blake's right ear twitched. 'And here I thought this was going to be a serious matter.'

'This _is_ serious,' Weiss seethed. 'You could have at least _scrolled_ me that the dolt was here. I could at least have prepared myself both _physically_ and _mentally_ for this.'

'… Weiss, we both know that there's no way to prepare for a Ruby visit.'

'… Yeah,' the heiress admitted wearily. 'I know.'

The Faunus smirked. 'Admit it,' she teased. 'Deep down you're every bit as excited as she is.'

Weiss snorted. 'Don't tell her that,' she said, her eyes betraying her true feelings.

'My lips are sealed,' Blake said dryly, passing her by. 'You coming or what?'

'Just another question.'

'Yes?'

'How is he?'

Blake stopped in her tracks. Whipping around towards her boss and close friend, she was stunned. 'How did you know?'

Weiss looked abashed. 'You… smell like him,' she coughed, looking off to the side.

Blake blinked. 'Aren't I supposed to be the one with the heightened senses?'

'_Just answer the question!_'

Walking towards the heiress, Blake flicked her on the forehead.

'_Ow_! What was-?'

Blake smiled gently. 'He's doing fine.'

Weiss stared back at her, her mouth agape. Slowly but surely, her mouth closed, her lips curving into a smile of her own.

'… Good.'

* * *

_Mile Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _It's all about the tease. Huehuehue. We're going back in time after this to fill in all the blanks I've left behind. Hopefully at the end of it all, you'll understand how the story fits. All I'm going to say right now is that this story happens near the __**end**_ _of the timeline._

_Now, onto some small things mentioned here. I gave Pyrrha a man… for now. An unknown man at that. I chose this route because I'm not a fan of OCs, and I can't imagine Pyrrha being with anyone else other than Jaune (I don't see how Mercury/Pyrrha works). So, yeah. This was my way of writing her off, so to speak._

_Secondly, on other pairings, I try to make it as vague as possible. The only other pairing I've used is Ren/Nora, but even that's light. I'm already selling Jaune/Weiss to you guys - I don't want to force other pairings onto you. Instead, all I'm going to say is that Ruby hasn't settled down __**yet**__, but Blake and Yang __**may**_ _have. Whether that be with each other or with other characters… I guess you'll find out, depending if I want to enforce more "pairing laws". Besides, it's fanfiction. You could always build your own headcanons._

_Thirdly, yes, I made Jaune a bit of a cowardly dick. That's intentional. Before you put him on the stake, however, bear in mind that what he apparently "did" to Weiss isn't actually as bad as you think. I'll shed more light on that in another chapter… among other things._

_Uh… what else. Oh, yes. Some characters don't exist in my universe. For example, Cinder and her gang don't exist in my universe. I honestly don't know how I'd write them in, and I'd rather not make reference to an obscure event that involved them either. This story only has so many legs - let's not cause a collapse for the sake of adding more characters._

_Anyway yeah, that's it from me. Remember to keep it real._

_-Narutochaos22_

**_P.S. _**_There's a small nod to GEP's fic, "Beloved Cooking". It becomes very obvious once you see it._

**_P.P.S._** _Blake's fun to write. Dunno if I kept her in character enough, though. Jaune already feels OOC to me. Then again, I am writing them twenty years into the future._


	6. Metre

**Summary:** _He was always in last place, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing._

**Author's Notes:** _I'd like to momentarily interject here and ask you guys to go ahead and write GEP's latest work, "ShipNote". It's a fun little series that you'll enjoy. There's nothing too… "Outlandish" about it, if you will. Seriously: after reading this, go over there and read it._

**Metre**

**RWBY**

* * *

When Neptune Vasilias woke up in the morning, he did not expect anything eventful to happen.

The blue-haired heartthrob was once again in town for the tournament, and his day had started like any other. He woke up, told himself that he was cool, brushed his teeth, told himself that he was cool, ate breakfast in the dining hall, told himself that he was cool, chatted with his team, told himself he was cool, and then went outside to relax in the sun. In case anyone was wondering, yes, he did indeed tell himself that he was cool.

From an objective perspective, Neptune Vasilias did not actually tell himself that he was cool. But let us not deviate from the tale being told.

So, as you, the reader - hello there, reader! - can see, when Neptune Vasilias woke up in the morning, the one thing he did not expect to encounter was a displeased twenty-one-year-old Jaune Arc.

Neptune Vasilias did not expect for Jaune Arc, a good friend of his, to stop him on the way to the courtyard. Neptune Vasilias did not expect for Jaune Arc, a good friend of his, to beckon him into one of Beacon's many curiously placed alleyways. Neptune did not expect for Jaune Arc, a good friend of his, to wait patiently as he walked into said one of many curiously placed alleyways.

To be frank, Neptune Vasilias did not expect for Jaune Arc, a good friend of his, to interrupt his daily routine at all.

And now in the present, the two men stood in the curiously placed alleyway. Jaune was rigid and silent, while Neptune was mostly just curious. The man from Mistral scratched his head, clearly confused as to why they were having this altercation. Given his demeanour, this was about something serious. _The tournament?_ his mind guessed. No… that couldn't be it. Seeing that Jaune and he hadn't really talked yet, this had to be about something… or _someone_.

…

_Oh_.

'Jaune…' Neptune said slowly. 'Is this about Weiss?'

Stone-faced, the knight nodded.

'Is this about me breaking up with her?'

Another nod.

'You're not really interested in talking to me, are you?'

A shake. 'Nope.'

'Let me guess… you want to beat me up?'

A nod. 'Yep.'

'You know that you'll probably lose, right?'

'Yep.'

'But you don't really care, do you?'

'Nope.'

'… Okay then.'

* * *

'Ugh,' Neptune groaned as he collapsed on the concrete ground. Beside him, Jaune lay motionless, he too having over-exerted himself.

It had been quite the street fight. No weapons was the unspoken rule as the two men-turned-boys exchanged blows. Finally at the end of it all, it was not a punch or a kick that decided it, but merely exhaustion. The two had beaten each other up to a metaphoric death. A stalemate.

'Dude,' Neptune coughed, looking over towards his blonde companion. His arms collapsed from beneath him as he tried to push himself up. Not really wanting to feel more pain, he remained still. 'You've gotten a heck of a lot stronger over the past year,' he chuckled, wincing.

'Well,' Jaune began, looking over as well. 'A lot of things changed over the year. I even figured out what my semblance was,' he added.

'Really?' Neptune asked, curious. 'What is it?'

A smirk. 'Now why would I tell you that?'

Neptune couldn't help it, he began to laugh. Slowly, the young Arc joined in too. The curiously placed alleyway became rich with peals of laughter mixed in with moans of pain.

_Pitter_.

_Patter_.

It had begun to rain.

'Wow,' Neptune wheezed. 'Could this be any more of a cliché?'

'Well,' Jaune replied, grinning slightly. 'We could be fighting over a girl.'

Laughs once more erupted out of both boys. Truly, it was quite the humorous situation.

His mirth finally dying down, Neptune looked up at the sky. 'We're both idiots,' he sighed. 'Well, you more so for wanting to start a fight.'

'Yeah,' the blonde boy rasped. 'That was my bad.'

Neptune turned his head back towards him. 'Do you feel better now that it's out of your system?'

Jaune stared back. 'A little.'

'Good,' Neptune said, turning back to face the sky. 'That's good.'

_Pitter._

_Patter._

_Pitter, patter._

'It should have been you.' Neptune's voice rang over the rain.

Jaune blinked. 'I'm sorry?'

'Three years ago, it should have been you, not me.' Neptune closed his eyes, feeling the drizzle wash over him. 'You should have asked her to the dance instead of me. You should have gone back inside instead of me. You should have talked with her all night instead of me.

'It should have been you.'

Jaune was stunned. 'Why… are you saying that now?'

Neptune sighed. Resigned eyes turned to face him. 'Because it's the truth,' he said bluntly.

* * *

_Silence once again reigned free. It was a stifling silence, completely suffocating the atmosphere. It was quite some time later until Jaune spoke up._

'_You know,' he said gently, 'I talked with Neptune on the night of the dance.'_

_Weiss didn't turn. 'Oh?'_

'_Uh huh,' Jaune continued. 'I'm probably breaking half a dozen rules of the bro code right now, but do you know what he said about you?'_

_She shook her head._

'_He said that although he didn't know you that well yet, that to him, you were pretty cool,' he grinned. 'Considering how he lives and breathes being "cool", I'd say that's a pretty tall compliment coming from him. No pun intended,' he added hastily._

_Weiss couldn't help but laugh at that. 'He does have his quirks,' she smiled fondly._

* * *

'No.'

Neptune blinked. 'I'm sorry?'

'No,' Jaune repeated. Anger gripped him. He still couldn't move. 'You don't get to be sorry for yourself,' he growled, struggling to rise.

'Jaune-'

'_No!_' With a frustrated groan, Jaune fell back. 'You don't get to,' he said vehemently. 'You just don't.'

'_Hey uh, Jaune, right?'_

'… _Yeah.'_

'I'm used to being in last place. I'm the middle child in my family. All of my older sisters - even all of my younger sisters - they all excelled where I didn't. Education, fighting… all of it.'

'_This party's pretty lame, huh? I mean, ballroom dancing… pfft.'_

'_Yeah…'_

'_Cute girls though, huh?'_

'Even back at the academy, I was in last place. Teachers gave up on me, calling me a lost cause. Students mocked me for not being as good as them. It made me so… _angry_. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never be as good as them.'

'_Is that all you think about?'_

'_Huh?'_

'_Do you even care about the girls you're hitting on? How they feel about you?'_

'I didn't qualify for Beacon. I didn't tell my parents this. God knows they'd be even more disappointed in me than they already were. So instead I snuck in. A few forged papers and I was in. I didn't even have to take that physical exam, _somehow_. That all didn't matter to me anyway. All I thought was that maybe, _maybe_ I could prove myself this time.'

'_Whoa? Where's this coming from?'_

'_How could you just turn her down like that?'_

'_Wait-who?'_

'_Weiss!'_

'But, as it turns out, I was being an idiot. A big one at that. I failed _more_ and _more_. Even Ruby, who's _two years younger than me_, aced everything while I didn't. Eventually I began to wonder whether or not I belonged here after all. Maybe it would have been better to stay back at home and be a pizza delivery guy or something.'

'_I uh… it uh… it just didn't work out.'_

'_What? You think that you're too cool? Too many other options?'_

'But then Pyrrha came along and decided to give my useless self a chance. She trained me. Day by day, week by week, month by month… it was hard, but eventually I got better. I started to feel like I wasn't dragging my team down anymore. That I wasn't a fraud who got everything handed to me on a silver platter. That I didn't have to be the guy that had to be protected by everyone. Heck, even Weiss encouraged me in her own demeaning manner.'

_Weiss Schnee asked you to the dance. What in the world could possibly keep you from going with her?'_

'Somehow, I stopped being last place. Instead, with enough hard work, I started to climb to the top. Eventually, I started getting first place. I started feeling like I belonged here… but I was still last place when it came to _her_.'

'_Look, if you want Weiss, she's all yours. I don't want to get in your way.'_

'We both know how she operates. It's simple: Weiss Schnee doesn't let people in. If she does, she does it after careful consideration. I tried for so long to get her to do that for me. Granted, I may have… _pushed_ a little too hard, but… I dunno. I just wanted to get to know her better.'

'… _Do you like her?'_

'_Yeah, I mean… I don't know her too well yet, but she seems pretty cool.'_

'And then you came along. She doesn't let people in easily, but she did so for you. Instantly, even. I remember being so… jealous of you. You looked like a guy who could get everything he ever wanted in life… and you did.'

'_Then just go… talk to her. No pickup lines, no suave moves… just be yourself. I've heard that's the way to go.'_

'She chose _you_ first. _You_ got first place. _I_ got last place. And you know, eventually I became okay with that. Moved on. I even encouraged her to ask you out. She was… _terrified_ of doing that. She was so afraid that you'd hurt her. And I told her that you wouldn't.'

'_Go talk to her… I guarantee it'll make her night.'_

'And then you did,' Jaune gasped, slumping back to the floor. Darkness began to obscure his vision. Damn, he really did overdo it. But regardless, he had held his own… Pyrrha had to be proud of him for that, surely? 'You hurt her and walked away. And now you're feeling sorry for yourself.' He shook his head. 'I'm sorry, but that's selfish.'

The rain continued to shower over the two. _Pitter patter, pitter patter_. Jaune shivered. _Gah_, Weiss would probably lecture him into a coma if he got sick. As for the location of everyone's favourite heiress, today her team had taken her into the city for a "Get Over Him" trip.

'Well then,' Neptune spoke up, interrupting his thoughts. 'If I'm selfish, then you're a coward.'

'Wha-?'

His response was a short one. 'Pyrrha didn't break up with you. You let her walk away.'

Jaune saw red. 'Don't turn this against me.'

'You could have had all the happiness in the world with her…' Neptune drawled. 'But _no_. You let her go.'

'I did not-' Somehow, Jaune struggled to his feet. 'You're wrong.'

'You did.' Neptune had managed to get up too. 'You know what I thought when you told me back then? When you told me about how the two of you _ended_? I thought that you were the _biggest coward_ that I had ever met.'

'You son of a-!'

Jaune lunged at him with a roar. Unfortunately, Neptune had telegraphed him. Taking his momentum, the boys slammed onto the ground again, Jaune taking the full weight of the fall for both of them.

'We both weren't happy,' Jaune gasped, stars flooding his vision. 'We both weren't happy, so we ended it.'

'And so that's okay with you, but what I did isn't?' Neptune snapped as he sat on top of him. 'We both weren't happy either.' He punched Jaune in the face. 'So we ended it!' He punched him again.

Jaune feebly tried to block as the blows rained down, but it was no use. He could only endure as Neptune continued to talk.

'And you're being a coward now!' Neptune exclaimed. 'You're blaming me for hurting her feelings, well _guess what_? Rather than blaming me, rather than coming to me looking for a fight - rather than doing all of that, you could have _stayed_ with her and be that someone for her _that I couldn't be_!' He drew back his fist for another blow.

Summoning what little strength he had left, Jaune threw him off to the side. Neptune landed in a heap, groaning. 'So you did have some fight left in you,' he heaved.

'Just a bit,' Jaune grimaced, flopping back down. Lord knows that he would have fainted if he had stayed upright any longer.

_Pitter patter pitter patter pitter patter pitter._

It was quite some time before Neptune spoke again. 'It's a strange double standard, you know?' he mused. 'A girl ends a relationship, she's told to move to greener pastures. A boy ends it, and everybody loses their minds.'

Seeing that Jaune remained quiet, he continued. 'I'm a lot of things Jaune. You could hold me to most accusations and I'd admit to them, but I am _not_ the bad guy.' Turning to face the knight, he took a breath. 'Call me cocky, superficial, or selfish. Heck, call me all three of those things. They're true, after all.' He paused for a moment. 'I'm a lot of things, Jaune, but "the bad guy" is not one of them.'

Turning back to the sky, he closed his eyes. 'It's strange, isn't it? It's always about what _they_ want, and never about what _we_ want. That's how every relationship works, really. Each half is so desperate to give the other what they want that they forget to think about themselves. Well, you know what?' He laughed bitterly. 'Sometimes it's okay to be selfish. It's a fact of life.'

Jaune was silent. The rain had begun to ease.

Taking his silence as an invitation, Neptune carried on. 'You know,' he started. 'She may have let me in first, but she let you in further.'

Jaune's brow furrowed. 'What do you mean?' he rasped.

'Whenever we talked, she'd always find some way to incorporate you into the conversation,' Neptune sighed. '"Jaune did this", "Jaune did that"… and when she talked about you, her eyes would shine that much brighter, and she'd smile that much wider.' He smiled sadly. 'That's why I said it should have been you,' he said. 'I could never get her to smile the way that you made her.

'So stop running, Jaune.' The blue-haired man turned to face him. 'Do you know what the best thing about being in last place is?'

Jaune shook his head. 'No,' he said. 'No I don't know.'

Neptune chuckled. 'You learn from the mistakes of those who came before you,' he grinned.

Jaune blinked. And blinked again. 'You're right, I guess,' he admitted, slowly breaking into a grin of his own.

'Damn right I am.'

'Hmm… Now that I think about it, it shouldn't be _too_ hard to do better than you, all things considering…'

'Well now that's just a little _too_ harsh…'

The two shared a laugh as the sun began to rise over the clouds. Rays of light shone down on the two men - united as brothers after having gone to war. Jaune remained thoughtful as Neptune's words continued to swirl inside his head. He wheezed out a small laugh. Neptune had a point.

He was always in last place, but maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

'_You're a really cool guy, Jaune.'_

'_Alright, don't lie to my face.'_

'Hey, Neptune?' Jaune slurred sleepily. He was on the verge of unconsciousness. Darkness was consuming his vision.

'Yeah?' Neptune mumbled back.

'You were a _really_ cool guy just now.'

* * *

_Metre Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _And yet another chapter rolls by. This was extremely difficult to write. The most obvious reason being that we know next to nothing about Neptune's character. Even after a few revisions, I'm still not quite happy with it. But honestly I think this is about as best as I can come up with. Gah._

_I'm better at writing male/female interactions. I had to be extra careful to not make anything sound like a sex thing with these two. It's a lot harder than you think._

…

_SEE?! SEX THINGS JUST HAPPEN. MAKE IT STOP. OH GOD MAKE IT STOP._

_I also tried my best to give a backstory to Jaune so that you guys would give a shit about him. I… hope that it worked. Somewhat. I addressed the fact that he was indeed a coward with how he ended things with Pyrrha, simply because he was. Like, seriously. He was._

_Now, onto Neptune. Disclaimer: I feel the need to say that he is probably my least favourite character on the show so far. That being said, I don't like this whole black and white mentality that some writers adapt in the world of fanfiction. I don't like Neptune, but he doesn't have to be "the bad guy" in order for Weiss and Jaune to work. At the end of the day, I wrote him to be human, just like us. Humans are selfish, humans do crappy things - that's life in a nutshell._

_Much like Pyrrha, Neptune wasn't happy with his relationship with Weiss, so he broke it off. Whether or not Weiss was happy with her relationship with Neptune, well - I guess you'll find out._

_Uh… there's not much else to say, really. Read "ShipNote". To balance both of our fics coming out at the same time, I'm helping GEP on future chapters, and in turn he's helping me with "Inch" when I ask for it. But seriously, "ShipNote". Read it._

_Keep it real._

_-Narutochaos22_

**_P.S._** _There's a reference to GEP's fic "Here's your Pizza"._

**Editor's Notes:** "_Metre" to "Meter" pls._


	7. Chain

**Summary:** _After all, who knows what the future might hold for them?_

**Chain**

**RWBY**

* * *

'What if they don't like me?'

Jaune halted in his tracks. He twisted around. 'Beg your pardon?' he asked.

Weiss had stopped moving a couple of paces behind him. 'Your family,' she said nervously. 'What if they don't like me?'

The twenty-three-year-old gave her a humorous glance. 'You know,' he joked. 'For someone who's _incredibly_ punctual, you couldn't have picked a _worse_ time to have a case of the jitters.'

To be friends with Weiss was one thing. To be dating her was a completely different experience. And dating her was what Jaune Arc had been doing for the better part of one and a half years. Having been friends through all their years at Beacon (though Weiss could very well argue that they were anything but in their first year), Jaune thought he knew all there was to know about Weiss Schnee. For example, he knew what made her laugh (puns and knock-knock jokes - thanks Yang), what entertained her (plotting the demise of people she didn't like… seriously), and what she preferred to do in her spare time (study… _duh_).

Jaune knew a lot of things about her. So many things that, when they started dating, he thought he knew them all. Oh how naive and foolish he was. Now, he knew what time she got up in the morning (the first alarm would go off at 6:55am, the second at 7), how she took her coffee (black, no sugars), and what she preferred to do on weekends (art galleries and museums… with video games being a guilty pleasure).

Has it been mentioned yet that the two of them are living in the same apartment complex? No? Well then, the two of them are living in the same apartment complex.

After Jaune had walked in on Ruby in her underwear one time too many, the couple (well, Weiss more so) had decided that it was best if the two of them moved in together for convenience's sake. Despite being initially opposed to the idea, Ruby finally agreed. To make things easier, she offered to move in with Pyrrha, to which the red-headed warrior had warmly agreed. Nora had been spending most of her time with Ren back at his and Jaune's apartment, which left Pyrrha alone on most nights. Not that Pyrrha blamed her. To be a hunter or a huntress meant that you were always at the public's mercy. Even though they were together on most assignments, Ren and Nora never really had time to relax and do "couple things" with each other. Pyrrha respected that.

A bustle of movement and a few stacks of paperwork later, all of them were finally finalised in their new homes. Having already bonded in Beacon over their love of weaponry, the two quickly became comfortable in their shared living quarters. Last Jaune had heard, the crimson-haired duo were in Mistral for a special Weapon's Showcasing event.

But alas, that's enough world building, don't you think? Let's head back to the main event.

As of late, there had been a lull in Grimm activity surrounding Vale. Spikes and irregularities were beginning to show in other regions, but it was still manageable for the most part. Due to there not being as many assignments in the area, there were long periods where resident hunters and huntresses were out of a job. And so, when the opportunity presented itself, Jaune thought it was the perfect time to introduce Weiss to his family.

It had all started two days ago. He was talking on his scroll with his mother – it didn't come to anyone as a surprise that Jaune was a mama's boy at heart. As he was recounting what had been happening over the last couple of months, Weiss became a subject of interest. After finding out that they were _living together_, Jaune had been all but been pressured into taking her with him when he visited. After some initial hesitance (and a lot of pleading on the knight's part), the heiress had agreed to go.

Which leads us to the present moment, where the two were literally, _literally_, at the front gate to the Arc household.

'You have nothing to worry about,' Jaune eased. 'They won't bite you or anything.'

'S-shut up,' Weiss stammered, wringing her hands. 'You'd be the same way if you had to meet my father.'

'Well,' Jaune replied wryly. 'To be fair, I have the strangest feeling that my family's nicer than yours. No offense,' he added.

Weiss snapped out of her reverie just long enough to spare him an amused look. From what little Weiss had told him about her family, all Jaune knew was that he didn't really want to meet Mr. Schnee any time soon. _Especially_ if he valued his ability to potentially procreate in the future.

Sinking back into mass paranoia, Weiss began to fiddle with her jacket. 'How do I look?' she asked, flustered. 'Do I look okay? Am I overdressed? I'm overdressed. They're going to think that I'm some posh rich girl from a high class family-'

'Weiss.'

'Which, to be fair, would be an accurate assessment. I'm a Schnee after all. But then they'll treat me differently and I _really_ don't want that to happen. I just want them to see me for me-'

'_Weiss_.'

'But that's probably not possible because _I'm freaking overdressed_. And then your parents are going to take you to the side and ask how much you paid for me to be your stand in girlfriend because I am far, _far _too good for you. And let's be honest, I probably am-'

'I take offense to that last one,' Jaune finally interrupted, giving her a wounded look. 'Though it's probably true, all things considered.'

'And now you're guilt tripping me!' she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. 'And now your family is going to tell that I hurt your feelings because you're a big, stupid_ softie_ like that and they're going to judge me just like you are now. And I really, really-'

'Okay, okay.' Jaune clapped both of his hands on her shoulders, interrupting her spiel. 'What's bothering you?'

Her diamond gaze pierced him. 'Nothing's wrong!' she said defiantly. 'What on earth are you on about, you dunce?'

'Oh really?' Jaune's right eye twitched. 'So you're fine with me buzzing the gate and us going inside?'

'Of course, why wouldn't I be?'

'Alright then.' He began to walk towards the gate. Keyword: began.

'_Wait_,' Weiss pleaded. 'Maybe they're not ready for us yet. You did kind of throw it at them last minute. Maybe they need more time to prepare.'

Jaune took a deep breath. 'Weiss,' he said slowly. His patience was beginning to wear thin. 'I was already planning to visit today. _They_ were the ones who asked _me_ to bring _you_ along.'

'I… I…' The heiress was at a loss for words.

Lifting her chin up, he looked into her eyes. 'What's bothering you?' he asked gently.

Weiss squirmed under his gaze. '… You'll laugh at me,' she finally blurted, her face flushing red.

'I won't,' he promised. 'Scout's honour.'

Curiosity flashed across her face. 'You were a scout?'

'And damn proud of it,' he grinned. 'I should show you the uniform someti- hey don't change the subject!'

'What subject?' she asked innocently.

He gave her a pointed stare. '_Weiss_…'

Seeing that she couldn't get out of answering him, the heiress slumped her shoulders. '… I don't want them to dislike me,' she said in a small voice.

Jaune sighed. He should have figured as much. 'Weiss, look at me.' The heiress shook her head, stubbornly refusing to meet his gaze. Another sigh. He leaned in. 'Please?' he ghosted in her ear.

Slowly but surely, Weiss turned to stare back at him. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears and her cheeks were deep red with embarrassment.

'You know,' Jaune smiled. 'My mum once told me that apparently when I was _really_ young, I had this crush on a girl.'

Weiss remained quiet.

'She was reserved, frosty and _really_ uptight. According to her, I went home each day and cried in her lap because the girl wouldn't give me the time of day. Hell, I probably just wanted to see her smile.' His brow quirked. 'Sound familiar?'

Weiss' mouth upturned slightly.

'Anyway,' he carried on. 'Spoiler alert - I never got her to talk to me… or smile. My mum went on to say that from that day on, she hoped that I'd end up with someone like that.' He rolled his eyes. 'Her reasoning was that even though I cried and cried and cried about it, it was the first and only time she saw me so dedicated to something.' He made a face. 'I wasn't sure whether to take that as an insult or a compliment.'

Weiss shook her head. 'Your mum's weird,' she said.

'Yeah,' he grinned. 'Yeah, she is.'

'It's a shame about that girl though. You sounded pretty love-struck.'

'Weiss, I was like four. I liked a lot of things when I was four.'

'You still liked her.'

'Are you jealous of a _four-year-old girl_?'

'What's your dad like?' she asked loudly, abruptly changing the subject.

'Uh…' Jaune paused, struggling for the right words. 'In mum's words, he's kind of like the "me" that's actually good at stuff.'

'And your older sisters?' she pressed.

'According to my dad, they're the "me"s that I should have ended up as.'

'And your younger ones?'

'The "me"s that I should have been. Look,' he sighed. 'Rather than asking me half a dozen questions, wouldn't it be better if you just went inside with me?'

'Yeah…' Weiss finally relented. 'I guess I should.'

'They'll love you, scout's honour.'

'I still can't believe that you were a_ scout_.'

'I _know_! Aren't I like, really cool to you right now?'

'No. That is about as uncool as you can get.'

'Aw, you're just jealous.'

'Not really,' the heiress giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth. Then, worry once again marred her features. She shifted uncomfortably. 'Are you sure I'm not overdressed?'

'Weiss, you look fine.' And from Jaune's perspective, she really did. The casual dress and overlaying jacket did wonders to accentuate the white-haired woman's beauty.

It should also be noted then that Jaune may or may not be slightly biased. She is his girlfriend, after all.

He leaned in closer. 'Now are you ready or what?' he breathed.

'I…' Still doubtful, the heiress met his eyes once more, seeking assurance.

'You'll be fine,' he promised. 'Trust me.'

Slowly, after much deliberation, she nodded. '… Okay,' she said quietly.

* * *

'I like your mum.'

'Uh huh.'

'I like your dad, too.'

'Mmhmm.'

'Your sisters are great as well.'

'Yep, they're fantastic,' Jaune sighed. 'Though I could have done without you putting me under the bus.'

'Your mother drove a hard bargain.'

'She promised that she'd make you "one of the best chocolate sundaes ever".'

'Hence why I said it was hard bargain!' Weiss defended. 'Besides, it's really good.' She pointed towards the sundae in her hands. At Jaune's mother's insistence, she may or may not have taken another one for the road.

'And here I thought Ruby was the one who had the sweet tooth,' he said dryly.

Night had fallen by the time they left. The two of them had stayed there the entire day. Weiss was instantly bombarded with questions by Jaune's sisters while Jaune himself was interrogated by his parents. Though stiff and formal at first, Weiss eventually mellowed out. Whenever Jaune had the time to look over, he always saw her in the midst of laughter or chatting animatedly.

'It was good seeing you like that,' he said, smiling softly.

'Mm,' the heiress hummed. She had a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Swallowing, she nodded. 'They were really easy to talk to.'

'And to think that you were _terrified_ of meeting them.'

'I don't what you're talking about.'

A peaceful silence fell between the two as they continued their walk to the train station.

'Your parents are great,' Weiss spoke up after a while. A small smile was upon her lips.

'"Great" isn't really a word I'd use to describe them,' Jaune said sarcastically.

Weiss shook her head. 'Well, at least they're better than my father,' she offered, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

'I guess so.' He grimaced. 'Just promise me that when we get married, we won't end up like them.'

'Deal,' she mumbled back absentmindedly.

It was only a moment later when Jaune felt that something was strange. He looked at his surroundings. They weren't in any immediate danger, but it was still eerily quiet. _Too_ quiet… _oh_. He couldn't hear Weiss' footsteps any more. 'Weiss?' he called over his shoulder.

No response.

Swivelling around, he found her rooted on the spot, white as a sheet, spoon in her mouth and sundae on the floor. 'What's up?' he inquired as he approached her. Gently prying the spoon from her, he tried again. 'Weiss?'

The heiress in question remained rigid. Her mouth was locked in a thin, firm line. Astonishment did not even begin to define her current expression.

Jaune frowned. 'Weiss, you're scaring me,' he murmured. He brought a hand to her forehead to feel her temperature. 'Are you feeling okay?'

Shocked orbs unfroze to meet warm, concerned ones. Mustering up enough concentration, the white-haired woman managed to swallow her mouthful of ice cream before speaking up. 'Marriage?' she gasped out, her voice hoarse.

It was a beautiful night. The moon was out, the wind was cool, and the stars were bright…

Jaune blinked. 'Did I…' His voice faded. Clearing his throat, he tried again. 'Did I say that out loud?'

A nod. A very jagged movement. Up. Down. Up. Down.

'… I see.'

It was a beautiful night indeed.

'Uh…' _Aw crap._ 'We can't really pretend that I didn't say that, huh?'

A shake. A very jagged movement. Left. Right. Left. Right.

'... I see.'

It was a _very_ beautiful night.

In a parallel universe where Jaune and Weiss were animals trained for combat, this would be the part where _player_ Jaune would use his _diarrhoea of the mouth _attack on _enemy_ Weiss.

'W-well,' he blabbered. 'We uh… you know, just came from my family's house, and it was really family-like because my family was there doing family things like a family, you know?'

Up. Down. Up. Down.

'And we were having a good old time with family talk, you know? You with your father and me with my parents. You know, just family stuff. W-wow, I really need to stop saying family, huh?'

Up. Down. Up. Down.

'And then, and then, and then uh… you know, one thing led to another and then my mind shouted out "marriage"! And you know that we've already established that I'm really bad at being tac-tacefa-_that word_, so it just came out, you know?'

Up. Down. Up. Down.

'And, you know, we're still really young and stuff, you know? I'm the same thing with "you know", aren't I? Dammit. But uh, yeah we're really _really _young still. _Way_ too young to get married and have children-'

'_Children?_' Weiss' naturally high voice sounded unnaturally higher.

In a parallel universe where Jaune and Weiss were animals trained for combat, this would be the part where _player_ Jaune's aforementioned _diarrhoea of the mouth _attack was super effective against _enemy_ Weiss.

'Did I say-? I just-I don't-I-_gah_.' Jaune slumped forward. 'I'm just gonna stop now.'

The ever so beautiful night was still. No wind, no cars, no birds, no nothing. If Jaune didn't know any better, this was probably Mother Nature's way of telling him that he _dun goofed_. Well, it was only a matter of time before he was defeated by his own mouth… _again_.

Dammit Jaune.

'We're going to be late for the train,' he finally said. 'Let's… let's just forget this ever happe-'

'How many?'

Jaune's head shot up. 'Come again?'

'I said…' Weiss had blushed a deeper red than Ruby's cloak. 'H-how many c-children do you want?' She was standing with her legs crossed, staring at anywhere _but_ Jaune.

'O-oh…' Jaune's mind grounded to a halt. 'W-well… I guess two boys would be nice.' Panic spread through him. 'Or one!' he added hastily. 'Y-yeah, one would be fine!'

'Why boys?' Weiss still adamantly refused to look anywhere in his direction.

'W-well… I've been surrounded by nothing but oestrogen for most of my life, even at Beacon.' He scratched his head sheepishly. 'Not that there's anything against having a girl. I'd be thrilled either way! I mean, I'd still play video games and teach them how to camp and stuff regardless. It's just… it'd be great if…' he trailed off.

'If?' Weiss asked softly.

'… It'd be great if there was someone to, you k- if there was someone to look after you if I wasn't home and you were… I dunno, sick or something.'

Right after saying that, he slapped himself on the forehead. _Goddammit I really need to stop doing that!_

'You've really… thought about the future, huh?' Weiss' voice cut through his thoughts.

'Well… yeah! I mean…' Jaune gestured at her. 'Don't you?'

She shook her head. 'I haven't really thought that far…' she said distantly.

'Well,' he started. 'Like I said, we're still pretty young. All of this stuff is still _ages_ away, you know?'

'Yeah…' the heiress whispered. 'Yeah, I suppose it is…'

'Great.' Jaune clapping his hands together. 'Then let's get going!' he exclaimed, hurriedly trying to change the subject. 'I dunno about you, but I'm _really_ tired…' He held out his hand towards Weiss.

After a moment's deliberation, she took it. Wrapping her arms around his and leaning into his warmth, they began to walk again.

To an outsider looking in, today was… a strange day, to say the least. All things considered, it could and should have ended up being a disaster. But, as fate would have it, instead the pair grew closer and closer still. But what happens next? That is the question. After all, who knows what the future might hold for them?

'It's a shame about your ice cream.'

'It was _really_ good sundae…'

'We could pass by the store on the way home if you want?'

'It's fine… I think I still have a few frozen bananas left in the freezer.'

'I really think it's time we had an intervention.'

* * *

_Chain Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _After two chapters of barely any interaction between them, I decided to up the fluff dial to extreme. Be prepared for cavities, lads and lasses, because this isn't even my final form._

_On a small update on this: I probably won't update until sometime after Christmas/New Year. I have quite a few things to do after this, so I can't really dedicate my time to this fic until then. You'll probably see me more so in GEP's work during this period, since editing is something I find easier and quicker to do. Editing was what I originally signed up for, anywho._

_Uh… what else… right. I didn't want to write Jaune's family because of my inherent dislike for OCs. Hence their very lightly treaded interaction. All I've established is that Jaune's a mama's boy (doesn't he come off like that to you?), he's the middle child, and both of his parents are alive. I probably will never write proper interactions with them because no._

_I don't really have anything else to say, other than that insecure Weiss is the best Weiss. That is all._

_Keep it real._

_-Narutochaos22_

**_P.S._**_ I feel the need to mention that I'm not from America. Because of this, I use UK English. I only ever use American when I'm editing GEP's work. It's a bit jarring to do, really, but it's what I'm most comfortable with. Sorry if it bugs you._


	8. Decametre

**Summary:** _Whether this was a step forwards or backwards, only fate could tell that story._

**Author's Notes:** _Hello again. Sorry for the delay. I've been mostly fixing small things in previous chapters to ensure that I didn't write myself into a hole, as well as just checking the overall continuity. Anyway, shall we begin?_

**Decametre**

**RWBY**

* * *

By the age of twenty-one, Pyrrha Nikos had been trained in many things. She knew how to fight, and to fight well. One need only look at the record books in Mistral to see proof of her countless tournament victories. She was also well educated. Be it history, weapon analysis, or Grimm studies, Pyrrha "knew her stuff" - almost giving a certain heiress a run for her money.

Yes, Pyrrha Nikos indeed had been trained in many things, but only so that she could be ready for many things. However, nothing could have prepared her for this.

Leaning by the rooftop's door, Pyrrha watched an agitated Jaune Arc pace back and forth. He had been frantic on the call as he pleaded her to meet with him. Given absolutely no context whatsoever, Pyrrha had been expecting the worst.

Seeing that JNPR's beloved leader was lost in his own world, Pyrrha decided that enough was enough. 'Jaune,' she said, coughing to get his attention.

Jaune paused. 'Yeah?'

'You needed me?' she asked. 'Is something the matter?'

Jaune gave a weak chuckle. 'What gave it away?'

Pyrrha gave him an amused look, gesturing towards his feet.

'Right…' Jaune said slowly. 'Fair point.'

'Yes,' she said with a giggle. 'Now why don't you tell me what's going on?'

'Well…' A troubled expression flickered across his face.

'Jaune.' Pyrrha laid a hand on his shoulder. 'You know you can tell me anything.'

'Ergh,' Jaune squirmed. 'It's just…'

'Yes?'

'It's… Weiss!' he blurted out.

'Weiss?' Pyrrha looked at him confusedly. 'Is she being mean to you again?'

'Yes… I mean, no! I mean-' Jaune shook his head wildly. 'Yeah, she's being mean, but that's just how she us. I'm used to that. That's not my problem.'

Pyrrha grew even more confused. 'Then what is?'

'I don't…'

'You don't…?' she pressed.

'I don't know how to ask her to the dance!' Jaune cried, turning away.

Pyrrha Nikos had been trained in many things, such was the truth. But none of her training could have prepared her to be Jaune's love counsellor.

Pyrrha gaped. She had almost forgotten. The Vytal festival was once again just around the corner. And, as per tradition, a dance was held a few weeks before the tournament. This year Pyrrha was one of the head coordinators for the tournament, and had become so wrapped up in working on it that the… _smaller_ things had slipped her mind.

But that was not the only reason why she had her mouth hanging open.

'Jaune…' she started,

Jaune wheeled around. 'Yep?'

'Why tell me?' she asked.

'Well,' he said. 'It's like you said, I knew could tell you anything.'

Pyrrha couldn't help it. She laughed. Trust Jaune to be the bluntest of the bunch. But perhaps that was why they had worked so well in the first place.

Seeing Jaune's bemused stare, her giggles ceased. 'Sorry,' she said, smiling apologetically. 'This was just… unexpected.'

'Yeah…' Jaune said. He threw his hands up in exasperation. 'I'm being pretty stupid right now, huh?'

'No, no!' Pyrrha shook her head. 'It's what makes you, you, after all.' _It's why I fell for you in the first place_. 'So why don't you just ask her?'

Flustered. 'It's not that simple!'

Curious. 'It isn't?'

'Yeah.' Jaune's head bobbed up and down. 'I mean, she just broke things off with Neptune less than two months ago, and we've been friends for _god_ knows how long. I just, I don't-' Jaune grimaced. 'I don't want things to end because of this,' he finished, slumping his shoulders.

Pyrrha's brow quirked. 'Oh, Jaune…' she sighed. 'Sorry, but you worry too much.'

Jaune's head shot up. 'What do you mean?'

A smile graced her lips. 'You should really see how she looks at you.'

He cocked his head. 'How she looks at me?'

'Yes,' Pyrrha said, still smiling. 'Her whole… demeanour changes when she talks to you, or when you're brought up. It's a strange thing to see, really… but I know what it is.' Her eyes glimmered. 'Call it a woman's intuition.'

'… Huh.' A grin slowly made its way across Jaune's face. 'I didn't know that.'

Pyrrha rolled her eyes. 'Of course you didn't,' she admonished gently, punching him on the shoulder. 'You're incredibly _thick_ like that.'

'Hey, I take offense to that!' Jaune said, looking at her reproachfully.

'Sorry,' she giggled. 'But it's the truth.'

Despite shaking his head in disapproval, Jaune too began to laugh. Once the laughter died down, the two of them stood in silence. It was nice. As it was their last year at Beacon, everyone had become far too busy with tasks and assessments given to them by their teachers. This was one of very few occurrences where they could actually take a moment to _breathe_.

'You know,' Pyrrha said after a while. She turned towards Jaune. 'You look at her the same way.'

Jaune was puzzled. 'I look at her differently?'

'Yes,' Pyrrha nodded.

'How can you tell?'

'Because you never looked at me that way,' she said quietly.

'Oh…' Jaune said slowly. Then he froze. '_Oh_.'

Pyrrha smiled sadly.

'Uh…' Jaune paled instantly. 'I didn't mean to-I just-'

'It's okay,' she said, smiling reassuringly. 'I know that you're not thinking straight.'

'Y-yeah,' he stammered. 'I uh… _man_, I'm really sorry.' He scratched his head sheepishly. 'This is probably really awkward for you, huh?'

Pyrrha hummed. 'A little, I guess,' she offered. 'But it doesn't bother me,' she added hastily, seeing Jaune pale further. 'It's been well over a year, after all.'

Jaune said nothing, but his eyes looked at her anxiously.

'Honestly Jaune,' Pyrrha sighed. 'I was the one who walked away, remember?'

'I let you walk away.'

Her brow furrowed. 'Whatever gave you that idea?'

'I…' Jaune paused before answering. 'Because I did.'

'Jaune.' Pyrrha shook her head dismissively. 'It was my decision, not yours.' She clapped her hands on his shoulders. 'So cheer up.'

'But-'

'_Jaune_.'

'… Okay,' Jaune relented.

'Good.' Pyrrha said, smiling softly.

There was a pause before either of them spoke again. 'So…' Jaune started. 'How do I…?'

Pyrrha laughed quietly. 'You're hopeless,' she joked.

'Yeah…' Jaune grinned. 'I honestly don't know _why_ you put up with me.'

They shared a laugh.

'Well…' Pyrrha said. 'Why don't you just ask her?'

'But-'

'But what?'

'What if she says no?' Jaune began pacing again. 'What if I… I dunno, mess things up?'

Pyrrha smiled again. It was like Déjà vu.

'Jaune.'

'Yeah?' He stopped and turned to face her.

'_You can't get it wrong if it's the truth_.'

Jaune blinked. And blinked. Slowly, his face broke out into a grin.

'I guess you're right,' he admitted.

Pyrrha smiled back. 'Perhaps I am,' she said. 'Now, let's go back to the dorm and sleep for the night.' She began to drag him along behind her. 'You can ask her in the morning.'

'Yeah…' Jaune murmured, allowing himself to be towed.

As they were making their way down the hall to their dormitory, Jaune spoke up again.

'Hey, Pyrrha?' he said.

'Jaune?' she replied.

'Thanks…'

Pyrrha didn't turn. 'For what?' she asked.

'For, you know…' Jaune fumbled for the words. 'Being there.'

She laughed. 'You're very welcome.'

* * *

'You're… really pretty.'

Weiss Schnee had been trained to expect the unexpected. However, nothing could have prepared her for this.

'I'm sorry?' she coughed.

'You're… you know.' Jaune waved his arms around. 'Really… pretty.'

'Um…' Weiss' heartbeat quickened. 'Thank you?' she said. Her face was feeling hot.

'And I'm… really pretty.'

Weiss tilted her head. '… Sure?'

'We're both… really pretty.'

Weiss' scarred eye twitched. 'Yes, we are. Are you feeling okay?'

'Pretty people go to stuff… like breakfast… and lunch…'

'Okay.' Weiss shook her head. She couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed. 'You're definitely not feeling well.'

'And dinner… and classes…'

'Uh huh.'

'And missions… and dances…'

'Mmhmm… wait.' Weiss froze. She looked up at him incredulously. 'What was that last one?'

Jaune panicked. 'Missions?'

'No, you dunce,' she snapped. 'The other one!'

Jaune backed away slowly. 'I have no idea what you're on about,' he squeaked.

'You mentioned something about a dance,' Weiss muttered to herself. 'Why a dance? Were you going to-?' Her brain grounded to a halt.

'Well…' Jaune spluttered. 'It's because, you know… we both don't have dates, and it's a bring a partner kind of thing, and we both don't have dates, and it'd be more fun if we went together, and we both don't have da- why are you looking at me like that?'

Weiss was looking at Jaune like he was the biggest scumbag on the earth. '_Really?_' she hissed. 'That was your way of asking me _out_?'

'Uh…' Jaune was as white as a sheet. 'Y-yes?'

'_Are you freaking kidding me?_' Weiss was fuming.

'N-no?' Jaune said in a small voice, cowering before her.

Weiss' gaze grew angrier still.

_Step._

'Well then, Jaune Arc.'

_Step._

'Here's my answer.'

_Step._

Jaune had backed all the way into a wall. Weiss stood inches away, fiercely glaring up at him. He winced as she took a deep breath, expecting the worst.

'Pick me up at seven.'

'… Huh?' Jaune said, dumbstruck.

Weiss sighed sharply. 'Pick me up at seven. I'm going dress shopping with my team in the weekend anyway. I'll be wearing something blue and white. Make sure you match. Get a suit. Not your current one, it's a wreck. Actually go out and _buy a good suit_. Go with Ren. He has taste. You do not. And for the love of _god_ do something about your hair, it's a mess.' She folded her arms. 'Are we clear?'

'Uh…' Jaune was speechless.

'_Are. We. Clear?_' Words could not express how terrifying Weiss' expression was right now.

'Y-yes!'

A growl. 'Yes who?'

'Yes ma'am!' Jaune squeaked.

'… Good,' Weiss said, smiling softly. A small blush had washed over her cheeks. 'Now get to class. I'll see you at lunch?'

'Yeah…' he said slowly.

'Great,' Weiss smiled before walking off. 'Try not to get beaten up in sparring class _too_ much,' she called over her shoulder.

'Yeah…' Jaune repeated dazedly. It was only just hitting him now that _Weiss Schnee_ had agreed to go with _him_ to the dance. _Together_, no less.

Life is made of many steps and staircases. After you finish walking up one, you then choose another in order to continue your journey. Where you end up, nobody knows! But, perhaps this would be the first step of many. Or perhaps it wouldn't be. Whether this was a step forwards or backwards, only fate could tell that story.

'Oh, and Jaune?' Weiss had turned back towards him. She was smiling sweetly.

'Huh?' Jaune snapped out of his reverie. 'Yeah?'

'If you even as much as _think_ about wearing a dress, I will gut you like a fish.'

* * *

_Decametre Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _Hmm… guess we should head back into the future._

_I also changed my writing style a bit. At GEP's guidance, I've tightened my "word belt", so to speak._

_See you in the next chapter. Remember to keep it real._

_-Narutochaos22_

**_P.S. _**_Shout out to Pongo._


	9. League

**Summary:** _It was everything he wanted and everything she dreamed of._

**League**

**RWBY**

* * *

It was night-time.

Winter was coming, so the sky had darkened early. The air was cold and no moon or stars hung in the sky. Despite this, Atlas, the city that never sleeps, lived up to its moniker. The streets were alive with the hustle and bustle of its residents. Sons and their fathers, daughters and their mothers - they wove to and fro from vendor to vendor, gazing upon all the night market had to offer. Performers were out in the streets, razzling and dazzling those who looked on. Yes, even after all these years Atlas had remained an ever-thriving city.

But Vacuo was not so lucky.

It started with a slow burn. An occasional Grimm attack here and there, but it was manageable. Or so the hunters and huntresses had thought. Holding one of the highest Faunus populations in Remnant, it was inevitable that the White Fang would recruit from there. Riling the civilians and whispering false promises in their ear… it was only a matter of time before Vacuo became a breeding ground for negativity. Like a plague, the Grimm multiplied, eventually ensnaring the kingdom.

Already at a disadvantage of being isolated in the desert, it did not take much for Vacuo to fall.

It became a priority for every hunter and huntress: go to Vacuo and prevent the spreading of the threat. Not eliminate, but quarantine. The problem had been left alone for far too long. Additionally, the Grimm still lurked the other kingdoms, so the less experienced huntsmen stayed behind to aid the military. Because of this, the efforts at Vacuo could not be as fruitful as they should have been. It would take months, years even, for progress to be made.

But it was a sacrifice that had to be made.

'Yang's gone to see Ruby off,' Blake murmured quietly as she approached Jaune and Weiss. The three of them were currently inside Weiss' home office. She looked at Jaune. 'You're leaving tomorrow?'

Jaune nodded. 'First thing in the morning,' the twenty-seven-year-old said.

Blake's head inclined. 'When you get there, ask for Sun,' she said. 'I know it's his hometown, and he feels indebted to help there, but he'd be of more use over here.'

Another nod. 'You got it.'

'Well then.' Blake's eyes warmed slightly. 'Unfortunately I won't be able to see you off, so I'll say goodbye now.' She reached out with her hand. 'Until we meet again, _vomit boy_,' she teased, a small smile on her face.

Jaune laughed. Forsaking the handshake, he went for a hug instead. Although startled at first, Blake slowly reciprocated. 'I'm gonna miss you guys,' Jaune said, his voice breaking slightly. 'Tell Yang that I'll make sure to take care of Ruby.'

A soft laugh. 'I have a feeling that it'll be the other way around.'

A hurt gasp. 'Oh _come on_!'

Pulling back, Blake smirked. 'Tell Pyrrha we all say hi,' she said. Pyrrha had left with the rest of JNPR a few weeks back. Turning towards her boss, Blake bowed slightly. 'I'll see you tomorrow, Weiss.'

Weiss nodded silently.

After sparing Jaune another glance, Blake strode out of the office. And then she was gone, the door shutting behind her.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

'Well,' Jaune said cheerfully. He indicated towards the couch. 'Shall we?' he asked.

Weiss took a moment before nodding slowly. The two sat in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but it wasn't comfortable either. The two of them just… had nothing to say. Rather, what could they say?

_Thump_.

Jaune felt Weiss' head rest on his shoulder. Reaching over with his hand, he held her close.

'It's going to be hell over there,' he sighed.

Weiss hummed in acknowledgement.

'I'd probably get some really cool scars though,' he said with a grin. 'So there's that at least.'

Weiss made a small noise in amusement, but still said nothing.

There was a long pause before Jaune spoke again. '… It's going to be weird, not seeing you every day,' he said quietly.

'… Yeah,' Weiss finally said.

'Then again,' he said nonchalantly. 'That might be a good thing.'

Alarmed, Weiss suddenly shifted away from him. 'What-?' she began, hurt.

'No more nagging, for one.' Jaune began to count with his other hand. 'Let's see… no more nagging about the washing or the dishes, or for not cleaning my weapons, or for not making the bed when it's my turn…'

Weiss shoved him lightly as he laughed. 'You're such a pain sometimes,' she grumbled.

'Yeah, I know,' he grinned. 'But you put up with me anyway.'

Silence again lapsed between them. Weiss' head once more found its way on his shoulder, and Jaune's hand once more found its way around hers.

'… You're okay with it, right?' he said softly.

'… I kind of have to be, don't I?' she quipped dryly.

'No,' Jaune shook his head. 'Not just with me going. The other thing.'

'Oh.' Weiss blinked. 'You mean "the clean break"?'

Jaune had brought it up about a month ago. Given the unpredictability of the Grimm, there was no guarantee how long he'd be away. Meanwhile, Weiss had part of a company to run. Added to that, she had to deal with the White Fang, and also had Faunus rights to fight for. Because of all this, it was safe to say that having a long distance relationship would not benefit either of them. Rather it would be too distracting.

So Jaune had proposed that once he left, they wouldn't contact each other. And, once it was over, they'd see where they stood. Weiss had seen the logic behind his argument. Although being initially reluctant, she eventually agreed. Despite this, the two of them had carried on, as if it was business as usual.

Until today.

Jaune nodded. 'I'm just double checking,' he said.

'Oh please,' Weiss scoffed. 'As hard as it may be for you to believe, I _do_ have a life outside of you.'

'Ouch,' Jaune winced. 'You cut me deep.'

Weiss laughed quietly. 'I'll be fine, you dunce,' she said. 'I have Yang and Blake to keep me company.'

'Okay then.' Jaune's heart panged. 'As long as you're fine.'

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Jaune closed his eyes. The past few years had been amazing, to say the least. Moving from Vale to Atlas was jarring at first, but he had grown to love the booming city. Even though the hunts kept him fairly busy, he and Weiss managed to spare time for each other. Granted, sometimes it wasn't as much as he would have liked, but still, he cherished every moment.

And now those moments would cease to exist.

_Tick._

_Tock._

_Drip._

_Drop._

Water slid down Jaune face. _I don't want to go_, he thought to himself.

_But you have to,_ his mind soothed. _It's your duty_.

_Drip. Drop. Drip. Drop._

Jaune laughed shakily. 'Man, I think something's in my eye,' he said, wiping the water away. He turned to Weiss. 'So, what should we-?'

_Drip._

'… Weiss?'

_Drip. Drip._

There was a wetness on Jaune's sleeve where Weiss' face was buried. Her small frame was shaking, and he could hear small whimpers coming from her.

'Weiss?' he tried again. 'What's wrong?'

Weiss managed a warbled mumble between sobs.

'I'm sorry,' Jaune murmured apologetically. 'I couldn't hear that.'

Breaking away, Weiss looked up at him. Tears were streaming down her face. 'Don't leave,' she gasped out. 'Don't leave!' It was all she could manage before she collapsed into him, crying.

'Oh come on,' Jaune managed feebly. The water had returned with a vengeance. 'I thought you said you were okay with it?'

He felt the shake of her head. 'Don't leave,' she cried. 'Don't leave!'

'Weiss…'

'_Don't leave me alone!_'

Jaune struggled for a moment. 'But I… I have to-' His eyes stung. 'It's my… it's my…' Something in him broke then. '… I don't want to.' His body shook. '_God dammit_, I don't want to go!'

The room was filled with his and her cries. They held each other close as their emotions continued to pour out. It was for the best, though. Things were better this way. Things _had_ to be better this way. Which was why, no matter how much they cried, no matter how many tears were shed - the consequences _had_ to remain the same.

Right?

Somewhere, lost in the hysteria, she kissed him. It was short and sweet. It was long and passionate. It was everything he wanted and everything she dreamed of. They kissed and they cried and they kissed and they cried.

It was beautiful.

It was tragic.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

It would be quite some time later, when they both finally calmed down, that Jaune carried Weiss to their… _her_ bed. Laying her down, Jaune could see that she was exhausted. She was furiously blinking away sleep.

'Get some rest,' he said gently, stroking her forehead.

'Don't leave,' she pleaded weakly.

'I have to,' he murmured. 'We both know I have to.' It was the golden rule, after all. A huntsmen's priority was to the people, not to themselves.

Weiss' eyes were red and sparkling with tears. It had been a long time since Jaune had seen her like this. She looked so small and defenceless. Sitting next to her, he stroked her forehead again.

'You should sleep,' he repeated.

She shook her head stubbornly.

'I'll be here in the morning,' he breathed. 'Don't worry.'

There was a pause. 'Promise?' she slurred. It had been a long day. Fatigue was getting the best of her.

'I promise.'

As darkness began to eat her vision, Weiss managed one more sentence. 'Don't leave,' she whispered, before succumbing to her body's needs.

Jaune kept on stroking her forehead. After today, he was going to say goodbye to six years. Six years of laughter and teasing. Six years of smiles and happiness. He was going to say goodbye to all of it.

He was going to say goodbye to _her_.

_A clean break is good_, his mind repeated. _It's for the best_.

Is it?

_Yes._

Why?

_Because not doing so is selfish._

And so Jaune kept on stroking Weiss' forehead. He kept on memorising every feature of her face. He kept on listening to the rise and fall of her chest. He kept on remembering all of the good she had brought into his life.

And then he said goodbye.

* * *

When Weiss Schnee woke up in the morning, Jaune Arc was gone.

She panicked when she couldn't feel him beside her. Looking at her scroll, she saw that she had slept in. She had slept in, and he didn't wake her. He had said, no, he had _promised_ that he'd be here, but he wasn't. He wasn't here. He lied. Jaune lied.

Jaune _lied_.

It was decided. She was going to pack her bags and take the next airship to Vacuo. And then she was going to give him the lecture of a lifetime. And then she was going to kick his _ass_. And then she was going to make him _regret_ breaking his last promise to her. And then she was going to make _sure_ that he knew how _badly_ he had hurt her by doing so. And then she was going to make him- And then she was going to- she was going to- she was- she- she-

She cried.

* * *

_League Fin_


	10. Decimetre

**Summary:** _Nowadays no one really takes the time to just pause and breathe._

**Decimetre**

**RWBY**

* * *

_Swish! Stab! Swish! _'Ow!'

_Swish! Swish! Stab! _'Hey that one was chea-!'

_Stab! Swish! Stab!_ 'Oh come on!'

As if on ice, Jaune Arc skidded across the floor. _Thud_. A groan came out the nineteen-year-old's mouth as his body made contact with the metal wall. _What did I do to deserve this?_ he thought miserably to himself. Rolling back into the arena, Jaune began the painstakingly long process of getting up. Sweat poured out of his pores and onto the ground. As he struggled to rise, he became vaguely aware of the sound of the tapping of boots.

Gasping for air, Jaune looked up to his tormentor. 'You're enjoying this, aren't you?' he wheezed between breaths.

'Mm…' Weiss Schnee murmured thoughtfully. Readying her rapier, she prepared to charge. 'A little, I guess.'

Jaune looked at her incredulously. It was all he could do before-

_Swish! Stab! Swish! Stab!_

He didn't even have time to raise his shield.

_Stab! Stab! Swish! Swish!_

He wildly swung out with his sword. A total miss. He wasn't even close to scratching her.

_Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!_

Jaune groaned audibly as he crashed back into the ground. Sure, aura functioned as a shield that protected one from real damage, but that didn't mean that they still couldn't _feel_ the impacts. Barely managing to hoist himself up, with bleary eyes Jaune turned to face his opponent.

He gaped.

At his age, Jaune Arc did not yet know what death looked like. He had fought his fair share of Grimm and had been on the receiving end of a Nora rampage, but he did not yet know what death looked like. But, from this moment onward, Jaune Arc could truthfully say that today marked the day that he knew what death looked like.

A hum sounded around him as he was blinded by light. Looking wildly around, he saw that he was surrounded by a dome of glyphs. His eyes widened in panic as he haphazardly turned towards Weiss. Her form was vibrating in and out of existence as she prepared to launch herself.

'Oh god no.' Jaune's face became as white as a sheet. 'I yield!' He threw his weapons down and raised his hand above his head. 'You hear me? I yield!'

It was too late. Weiss had already blurred out of existence.

Jaune drearily looked up to the ceiling. 'Why me?' he asked pitifully.

And then the world went to hell.

* * *

'Man that really smarts…'

'I didn't even hit you that hard.'

'I said I yielded!'

'Did you? Sorry, I didn't hear that.'

'Oh _sure you didn't_!'

The late afternoon sun shone over Beacon's courtyard. Under the light of its rays sat an unlikely duo. Weiss was sitting on the bench in a refined manner, prim and proper with her legs crossed and her back straight. Jaune however, was the complete opposite, sprawled out like a starfish and looking like death.

'I'm _really_ going to be hurting in the morning,' Jaune complained, nursing his shoulder.

'Stop being such a cry-baby,' Weiss scoffed.

Jaune looked over at her, crestfallen. It had been a simple situation. Pyrrha Nikos, his girlfriend, had to go back to Mistral for personal reasons. Because of this, Jaune lacked a sparring partner. And with the tournament coming up, he really needed one. Ren had politely declined when the topic had been breached, so Jaune was then left with the following options.

Nora? Sure, if he was feeling suicidal.

Ruby? No thanks. He quite liked having _all _of his body parts.

Weiss? Pointy things. Enough said.

Blake? His throat would be slit before they even began.

Yang? Breathing was nice. He liked breathing.

So, in terms of ranking them from "least ouchiness" to "most ouchiness", Jaune had decided with Weiss. Sure, the "least ouchiness" on the scale was still incredibly high, but at least he had that whole kinda-friendship thing going for him.

But, Jaune Arc had forgotten two key things. One, Weiss Schnee was Weiss Schnee. Two, Weiss Schnee was _Weiss Schnee_.

'I couldn't even land _one_ hit,' Jaune moaned, forlornly staring up at the sky.

'Well,' Weiss started. 'Not to take anything away from Pyrrha, but she's more of a power player.' She shrugged. 'You haven't sparred with someone who's more speed-oriented.'

'Pyrrha would at least tone it down a little so that I could get the hang of things,' he said indignantly.

Weiss looked at him boredly. 'I'm not Pyrrha.'

'Yeah, _duh_,' he groaned. 'But you should have at least have given me some time to adjust to your fighting style!'

'Oh please,' she said, sniffing dismissively. 'You won't get that luxury on the battlefield.'

'But this _isn't_ a battlefield!'

'Your point?'

Silence.

'Man.' Jaune shook his head. 'Maybe I should have gone with Yang instead.'

Weiss blinked. 'I would have advised against that,' she said slowly.

Curiosity. 'Why not?'

Amusement. 'Her semblance.'

Realisation. 'Oh… right.'

'Yep,' Weiss said, popping the "p". 'Besides, I don't think Pyrrha would appreciate her boyfriend having to drink through a straw for the next month.'

'Yeah,' Jaune admitted. 'She probably wouldn't.'

The sun had begun to set. Yellow coloured orange as students in their plenty hurried inside to prepare for dinner.

'Well,' Weiss started, looking at her scroll. 'We should probably get going soon.'

'Just a little while longer,' Jaune murmured. His eyes were closed as he reclined on the bench.

'You can rest inside,' she pointed out.

His eyes opened to look at her. 'It's not just that,' he explained. 'It's kind of nice, don't you think?'

'It depends on what you mean by "nice",' she said dryly.

He cocked his head. 'You've never gone outside before to just relax?'

She shook hers. 'No.'

'You haven't gone cloud watching?'

'That sounds dreadfully boring.'

'Hey, it's fun to imagine what they look like.'

'They look like _clouds_.'

The commotion of student movement finally settled, leaving Jaune and Weiss mostly alone in the courtyard. There were still a few stragglers around, chatting quietly amongst themselves and just enjoying the fresh air.

Jaune laughed. 'Well okay, aside from that then. You've never just taken the time out of your day to go outside and… I dunno, chill?'

'Nope.'

'Why not?'

Weiss shrugged. 'I just prefer to be indoors, like a library or something.' She pulled out her scroll again and began idly flicking through it. 'There's not much to do outside. I like to keep busy.'

'Well then,' Jaune said lightly. He reached over and took Weiss' scroll from her. 'Let's change that.'

'_Hey!_'

'Rule number one of outdoor relaxation? No technology,' he said, casting her scroll to the side.

'Give it back.' Weiss was glaring daggers at him.

'See, at this point I'd usually cave in, but…' Jaune stifled a yawn. 'Right now I'm just too tired to care.'

Weiss' glare intensified.

'Just give it a try,' he reasoned.

'… Fine,' she gritted out, crossing her arms.

Jaune continued onwards. 'Rule number two,' he said. 'Find a place to rest comfortably.'

A twitch. 'Aren't we doing that already?'

A scratch. 'Well… yeah.'

A sigh. 'Stop being redundant, please.'

'Yeah, yeah,' Jaune grinned sheepishly. 'Anyway, rule three, clear your mind.'

'What?'

'Just, you know… don't think about anything.'

'That's impossible to do. You do know that, right?'

'Nah, you just haven't tried hard enough.'

Weiss stood up. 'This is pointless,' she snapped. 'If you're not going back in, then I am.'

'Don't be like that,' Jaune pleaded.

'It's getting late,' she said firmly. 'And I don't know about you, but I want to rest early for tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow?' His brow furrowed. 'What's so special about tomorr- _oh_…'

Weiss flushed. 'O-oh what?' she stuttered.

Jaune snickered. 'Neptune's arriving tomorrow…' he drawled.

'S-shut up! T-this has nothing to do with him!'

'Weiss wants to look _pretty_ for her boyfriend…'

In an instant, Jaune felt steel against his throat. 'Tease me again,' she said coldly. 'I dare you to.'

'W-wouldn't dream of it!' he squeaked out.

'Good.' The steel retreated.

'… But at least give it a go,' Jaune said quietly.

Weiss let out an irritated sigh. 'If I do this, then can we go inside?'

'Promise.'

'… Fine,' she relented, sitting back down.

The sun continued to set.

'Just relax and clear your mind,' Jaune repeated.

'And then what?' she asked.

'And then just… I dunno,' he gestured. 'Lean back and listen.'

'Listen to what?'

Jaune laughed. 'To the world, I guess,' he said, closing his eyes.

After some initial hesitation, Weiss began to follow suit. Leaning back into the bench, she closed her eyes.

At the age of nineteen, Weiss Schnee had a lot of worries. Most of her worries stemmed from her position as the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The day that she would have to take over grew closer by the second. Be it in five years or fifteen years, eventually she'd have to succeed her father. Such was her destiny.

And that worried her.

'Just clear your mind,' Jaune murmured.

_Right, clear your mind,_ Weiss instructed herself. _Wait_. Why was she instructing herself? If she was telling herself to clear her mind, then wouldn't the instruction to clear her mind _be_ in her mind? Then, wouldn't that mean that her mind wouldn't be clear at all? Therefore, she'd have to clear her mind without thinking of doing so. But how on earth was she supposed to-?

'Don't overthink it,' Jaune called out, as if reading her thoughts.

'I am not!' Weiss rebuked hotly.

'Sure you aren't…'

With another irritated exhale, Weiss tried again. Seconds passed, and then minutes. Little by little, Weiss' worries began to vanish. They disappeared like the shoreline of a beach - swaying to and fro, taking a bit more sand with every wave.

Remembering what Jaune had told her to do next, Weiss leaned back. And then she listened.

And for a while there was nothing.

And then there was everything.

Feeling the breeze around her, Weiss began to _listen_. She could hear the flowing of the fountain. She could hear the ripples in the water. In the surrounding garden, there was the quiet tittering and tattering of student speech and laughter. Out in the bush, the crackling of cicadas had begun to slow. Overhead in the trees, the birds were singing their song as they welcomed the night's embrace.

Weiss was in awe. Humanity lived and breathed being busy. They revelled in it, even. It was simply just how they'd evolved. But, because everyone had become so caught up in their own busy lives, nowadays no one really takes the time to just pause and _breathe_.

Weiss smiled softly. 'I see what you mean,' she admitted, her eyes still closed. 'It really is quite re-'

_Thump_.

Diamond orbs opened in shock. 'What-?' she started dazedly. A weight had suddenly made itself known on her shoulder. Confused, Weiss turned towards the disturbance. When she saw what it was, she couldn't help but laugh.

Jaune Arc had fallen asleep. And, in his search for the cure to his fatigue, Jaune ended up slumping onto her shoulder. Weiss shoved him lightly. No response. He was out like a light. She couldn't blame him. Despite being absolutely rubbish at it, he had given it his all during their spar.

'Honestly,' she sighed. 'This was why we should have gone inside.' But then again, he looked so… peaceful. Weiss didn't want to wake him.

_Just a little longer_, Weiss promised to herself. _I'll wake him up in a little bit_.

But it was just so _peaceful_. And as time went by, Weiss' eyelids began to droop.

The orange in the sky slowly began to tinge red. One by one, the last few students got up and dusted themselves off. One by one, they walked through the academy's doors. It was only a while later when Weiss and Jaune were the only two in the empty courtyard.

_Just a little longer_, Weiss thought sleepily, feebly trying to stay awake. _Just a little_...

And the sun continued to set.

* * *

_Decimetre Fin_


	11. Furlong

**Summary:** _It's like we're all masochists living in a sadistic world._

**Furlong**

**RWBY**

* * *

It was heated passion.

Tongues lashed together as breathless moans and languid sighs filled the room. Breaking away he began trailing kisses down her neck while his hand reached under her shirt. She gasped, rolling her eyes in ecstasy, before leaning fully into his touch - seeking its warmth. Crossing his lap with her leg she straddled him as he continued his ministrations. Pressing his other hand into the small of her back, he drew her closer still…

Jaune thought he was going to be sick.

_They do know that this is a bar, right?_ the twenty-one-year-old thought, his face screwed up with disgust. With a shake of his head and a sigh, the blonde returned to wiping the bar down. Why was it that time always moved so slow near closing time? There had to be some little fairy or something inside the clock and screwing with it, surely?

'Aww… isn't that romantic?' cooed a voice behind him.

'It depends on what you mean by romantic,' said Jaune dryly, looking up at them. 'You'd think that they would have gotten a room or so- and now he's unclipping her bra.' Something innocent inside of him was dying. 'Like, seriously?'

'_Someone sounds jealous!_' the voice sang. Jaune felt a strong pair of arms wrap around his shoulders. 'Just take a look, Jauney-boy,' Yang Xiao Long trilled with a smile. 'Don't you feel the _love_ in the air?'

'Yang, I'm working.'

'So?' He felt her shrug. 'Seniority. Comes with the territory.'

Another sigh escaped Jaune. Beacon Academy's curriculum for fourth years was a lot more lax in comparison to the previous years. While teaching and lectures were still on the timetable, they were few and far between. Instead, they were replaced by missions. But even they were not plentiful, only being mandatory every fortnight. To summarise, the fourth year was more about self-reliance and discipline. If one were to fail at the end of the year and not be able to graduate, the fault lied with them.

So, with all of this spare time, Jaune had thought that it was time to find a job. Seeing his interest, Yang had offered to put in a good word at the bar she worked at. Since she knew the owner quite well, a few days later Jaune had found himself with a job. Despite having to deal with crappy customers from time to time, it was good work. Paid well, too.

'But seriously, Jaune,' Yang said as she scooted onto the bar ('I just cleaned that part, Yang!' Jaune groaned), 'Doesn't that display make your romantic side just _fawn_?'

'No.'

'Not even a bit?'

'Nope.'

A sigh. 'You're no fun,' Yang pouted. Suddenly her eyes flared with mischief. 'Or could it be that you're just _a little bit_ snappy because a certain heiress is currently on a da-?'

Jaune threw his rag at her. Taking Yang completely by surprise, it caught her flush in the face. In fact, that force was so strong, it caused her to crash off the table and onto the wooden floor. Patrons (sans the… _interesting_ couple) looked up in alarm before going back to their normal lives. They, the regulars mostly, were used to Yang's antics by now.

'No,' Jaune repeated slowly. 'It has _nothing_ to do with Weiss currently being on a date with Neptune.' He reached under the bar for another cloth.

'Gah,' groaned Yang as she clambered back up dazedly. 'You got quite the arm there, _vomit boy_.'

Instead of a verbal retort, Jaune chose to glare at her.

'Yikes, guess someone's being hanging around the Ice Queen too much,' Yang joked. Chucking the rag back on the counter, she took a seat on a stool. 'Now hows about you get a girl a drink?'

'Get it yourself, Xiao Long.'

'But I'm on _this side_ of the counter!'

'So?'

Yang pouted again.

A sigh. 'The usual, then?'

Yang beamed at him.

It was a quiet night tonight. Aside from a few stragglers and the couple who Jaune was pretty sure that they were having public sex (they were still glued to each other, and the girl _was_ wearing a skirt), there wasn't much life in the bar. Then again, it was fairly close to closing time. For the few minutes, the two of them chatted. Missions, training, the upcoming tournament… they talked about anything, really.

'I had my back against the wall with nothing left to give. So, reaching in deep, I-!' A deep rev of a motorbike interrupted Yang's dramatic retelling of a boss she had fought in a video game. The two of them turned their heads towards the sound of the opening doors.

'Well then,' said Blake as she approached them, smiling softly. 'You two seem to be hard at work.'

'Blakey!' Yang sprang up, smouldering the Faunus in a bear-crushing hug.

Blake laughed quietly. Poking her head above Yang's shoulder, she nodded towards Jaune. Jaune nodded back.

'Can I get you a glass of water?' he asked. 'Or juice?'

Blake shook her head. 'No thanks,' she said. 'Yang and I have got to get going.'

Jaune cocked his head. 'Oh?'

'Yep!' Releasing her prisoner from her grasp, Yang swivelled to face him. 'The museum's open late tonight, and kitty-cat wants to go.'

'Please don't refer to me as a domestic animal,' Blake deadpanned.

Yang's brow quirked. 'A do-_meow_-stic animal, then?'

Jaune and Blake collectively sighed.

'Anyway,' Yang said with a grin. She turned to Jaune. 'You gonna be fine tidying up by yourself?'

'I don't see how today's any different from any other day.'

'Gah! So salty!' Yang made a face. 'You better come in tomorrow with less vinegar, mister, or I'll ask the big man to give you a cut.'

'Yeah, yeah,' Jaune said, waving them off. 'Have fun.'

Yang beamed at him again before strutting off. Giving him a half-amused-half-apologetic look, Blake followed suit.

_Slam!_ The door shut.

With a sigh, Jaune took a look at the clock. Five minutes left. Guess it was time to pack up for the day. He went to each patron, informing them quietly that it was closing time. A rap of his knuckles on the booth's table startled the kissy-kissy couple. Seeing the girl's blush and the guy adjusting his pants only further proved Jaune's theory.

One by one, each and every patron left, leaving Jaune to his own devices.

_Well then_, he thought. _Guess I should start locki-_

He heard the door open once more.

'Sorry,' he said, looking up. 'We're clo-'

He stopped.

'Weiss?'

The heiress in question was prettied up for the night, draped in a white and blue dress.

'You still have a minute before closing time,' she said, smiling lightly as she took a seat.

Jaune laughed, confusion still etched on his face. 'Yeah, I suppose,' he began slowly. Leaning over the counter, he examined her closely. 'You okay?'

'Yeah, I'm fine,' she replied. 'Could I get a glass of water?'

'Sure.'

'Two ice cubes, please.'

'As _m'lady_ commands.'

Filling up the glass, he slid it towards her. 'Did the date end early or something?' he asked.

Weiss took a sip before replying. 'Yes,' she said. 'It did.'

'What happened?'

There was a long silence before Weiss responded. 'We broke up,' she said quietly.

Silence.

'O-oh…' Jaune was stunned.

'Yeah,' said Weiss, taking another sip.

'Uh… how did…?' Jaune was at a loss for words.

'Hmm…' Weiss hummed. 'It was a mutual thing,' she said with a shrug. 'The "magic", or whatever you want to call it, it just wasn't there anymore.' A sigh. 'We both ended up deciding that we'd be happier apart.'

'You didn't want to work through it?'

'Well…' Weiss hesitated. 'I kind of did for a moment. But it passed.' She shook her head. 'It didn't bother me, though. It was probably for the best, really.'

'I see…' Jaune trailed off.

The two sat in silence for a while.

'Well then,' Weiss said brightly. She motioned with her hands. 'Don't let me stop you. Lock up so that we can get out of here.'

A smile reached Jaune's lips. 'Yes ma'am,' he said, making a mock salute.

After locking up the liquor cabinets, he hurried into the back, making sure that everything was shut properly. As he did so, he couldn't help but feel something soar within him. He immediately quelled such thoughts. _She just broke up with him_, he reprimanded himself. _Show some tac-taca-tact-thingyness!_

Shaking his head thoroughly, he walked out to the front. 'Right then,' he said. 'Once you're done with the glass…' He stopped again.

Weiss was currently in her own little world. She had raised her glass to eye level, and she was staring into its depths - mystified. Something was off. Her stare seemed so distant, like she wasn't looking at anything at all.

'Weiss?' Jaune tried.

'You know,' she started. 'Back in our first year, I had this conversation with Ruby about "friends".'

'You did?' he asked.

'Yeah…' she murmured. 'She told me to act nicer around people so that I could make them. Apparently I was too cold or something.'

She took Jaune's silence as an invitation to continue. 'She kept pushing the matter, saying that it was good to make friends, or else I'd be lonely. She pressed and she pressed and she pressed… I was getting a little tired of it. I mean, yeah, I understood. I needed friends to keep me company. But she just kept on going at me… so I asked her, _"Why do we make friends?"_

'And, in true Ruby fashion, the damn dolt was confused.' She rolled her eyes. 'She asked what I meant, and I said that it was strange. It was strange that from a young age, all children are told to make friends. And that's good. That's great, even. Friends put smiles on faces. But as you get older, how many of those "friends" stay friends? It's such a weird anomaly, really. At the end of it all, we lose more friends than we keep. So why bother?

'And then Ruby became all quiet for a bit. And then when she finally spoke, she said, _"Weiss, it's not about how many friends you make. It's about the ones that stay."_ And she said it with such… conviction, that I almost believed her,' she laughed. 'Heck, I think I _wanted_ to believe her.'

Taking careful steps, Jaune crossed the counter and took a seat beside Weiss. She paid him no attention. The glass in her hand had begun to condensate. Little water droplets began to form on the exterior.

'Friends,' she repeated. 'Good friends, best friends, whatever. Sure, they stick with you. Through thick and thin and whatnot. That's their duty, their… purpose. But… it's strange. As time goes by, you lose more of them. Somehow, some way - be it personal reasons or even_ death_, they all fade away. One by one by one… they all fade. And in the end, you are left _completely_ and _utterly_ alone.'

The droplets had grouped together to form one big drop, which was beginning to slide down the glass.

'It really _is_ strange… how we're told to make relationships. They make us happy, supposedly. But when they end, they leave a big, empty space. It doesn't get filled. Whoever says it does is a liar. No, it serves as a memorial of what used to be. A reminder of just how incredibly_ alone_ we all are.'

She turned towards Jaune. 'Don't you think it's strange?' she whispered. 'The lie we're told to believe in? It's beautiful, really. The perfect disguise for the perfect trap. After all, we came into this world alone… it doesn't make sense to change that, surely? You might as well be trying to change human nature.' She shook her head. 'From the start, we were all meant to be alone.'

The drop on the glass continued to crawl its way down the glass.

'But we all _want_ it,' she said softly. 'Even though it leaves us with nothing but pain, we all _crave_ it. That something to stave off the loneliness. Because we don't want to be alone. So we hold on to it for as long as we can,' she laughed. 'And the funny thing is, is that we don't let go of it. No. It lets go of _us_.' A sigh. 'It's so… _strange_.'

The drop reached the bottom of the glass where it sat, precariously perched.

'Humans are strange,' she laughed again. 'Heck, even Faunus are strange. Don't you agree?' she asked, smiling at Jaune before turning back to the glass. 'It's like we're all masochists living in a sadistic world. See, the world's not cruel. It's just performing its function… it's our fault for wanting something that we never should have had.'

The drop wobbled dangerously.

'It's so strange,' she breathed. 'It's so… strange.'

The drop continued to shake free from its bonds. Gravity drove it further down. It was becoming heavier and heavier and-

'… Yeah,' Jaune said quietly, finally speaking up. 'Yeah it is.'

_Drip._

The drop fell.

_Drip._

* * *

_Furlong Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _Sorry. -Narutochaos22_


	12. Kilometre

**Summary:** _Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it._

**Kilometre**

**RWBY**

* * *

'I think you overdid it.'

'Nah, he's fine.'

'You blasted him through _seven_ abandoned buildings.'

'Well, I can usually punch people through _ten_…'

'_Yang_…'

'Oh come on, sis! He's a big boy, he'll get over it.'

A groan escaping Jaune's mouth silenced the two girls. The twenty-eight-year-old's vision swam as he opened his eyes. Blearily looking around he saw that he was in a med tent.

'How'd I…' he started, pushing himself up. 'What-?' Without any warning, bile rose to his throat as stars flooded his vision. His body unable to process the change, Jaune slumped back into the mattress. 'Ugh…'

'Jaune?' Ruby asked tentatively, her voice laced with worry. The red cloaked huntress hovered above him. 'Are you okay?'

'Urk…' Jaune moaned. He waited until the nausea ebbed away before speaking again. 'How'd I… get here?'

'Well…' Ruby began. 'You kind of… got knocked out by my sister.'

'Yang?' the man slurred. His eyes struggled to focus on the blonde figure behind Ruby. 'Aren't you supposed to be at… at Atlas?'

Yang whitened. 'Dear lord I gave him amnesia.'

Ruby shot her sister a poisonous glare before turning back to Jaune. 'Don't you remember?' she soothed. 'Blake gave her an off day to come visit us here in Vacuo.'

'She did?' Jaune asked blearily. Then his eyes widened slightly. 'Oh, she _did_…'

'Yep!' Ruby said. 'And so she came this morning…'

'She came this morning,' Jaune continued. 'A private airship arrived at this camp… Yang got off… saw me… and then…'

'And then…?' Ruby pressed.

'And then…' Jaune winced as the memories from hours ago flashed through his mind. 'And then the _owies_ happened.'

'That's one way of putting it, I guess...' Ruby said slowly. 'Can I get you anything to drink?'

'Uh…' Jaune blinked as his vision swam again. 'Water. Water would be good,' he said weakly.

'Okay then,' Ruby said, rising to her feet. 'I'll go over to the main tent. _You_,' she said, pointing at Yang. 'Don't do anything stupid when I'm gone.'

'Oh come on, Rubes,' Yang said easily. 'It's not like I'll-'

'_Yang_.'

'Yes ma'am,' she said obediently.

'Good,' Ruby said curtly, before stalking out of the tent.

Jaune chuckled as she left. 'Aren't you supposed to be the older sibling?' he asked.

Yang shook her head ruefully. 'She's grown up so fast,' she sighed as she approached his bedside.

A silence hung over the two before Jaune spoke again. 'So…' he started. 'Why the punch?'

Yang looked at him exasperatedly. 'You know why,' she said.

'… Yeah,' Jaune said, laughing quietly. 'Yeah, I guess I do.'

'Dick move, Arc. Dick move.'

'I know.'

A sigh. 'Was it really so hard to stay a bit longer?' she asked.

'I…' Jaune took a moment before answering. 'Yeah, it was.'

Yang's brow furrowed. 'How so?'

'If our roles were reversed and it had been Blake you had to leave behind, would you have stayed?'

'Of course,' Yang scoffed. 'Why wouldn't I?'

Jaune laughed again. 'Of course you would. That's who you are.' He paused. 'But that's not who I am.'

Yang pulled up a seat. 'Explain,' she pressed.

'… I'm a coward by nature, I guess,' he confessed. 'I mean, I can keep my cool when my comrades are in danger. I can even stand up to a Goliath and only _slightly_ poop my pants. All of that's just a day-to-day thing for a job like this.' He stared up at the ceiling. 'But when it comes to… _feelings_, I guess I'm just not that good. Rather than facing them, I just run away.'

'_If I'm selfish, then you're a coward.'_

'Like when Pyrrha broke up with me. She's told me time and time again that it was her decision, but there was a window where I could have done something. And maybe, just maybe, if I had done something, we never would have ended.' A laugh. 'Even Neptune called me out on it.'

'_I thought you were the biggest coward that I had ever met.'_

'But that doesn't excuse you being a dick,' Yang clarified.

'No,' Jaune admitted. 'It doesn't. But I'm trying to make you see _why_.'

'I dunno, Jauney-boy,' she sighed. 'All I'm getting from you is that you were being selfish.'

'Sometimes it's okay to be selfish,' he said quietly.

'_It's always about what __**they**_ _want, and never about what __**we**_ _want.'_

Yang shook her head. 'I don't know if I can agree with that,' she said.

'I wouldn't expect you to,' Jaune chuckled. 'Like I said, you and I are very different people.'

'Well,' Yang said, scratching her head. 'In my downtime (should we get any these days), I've been playing this game on my scroll. It has these two characters that always interact with each other. One's a soldier, and another's this kind of… female A.I thing. Just the other day, I got up to the part of the story where the two of them had to part ways for a bit. So the soldier promised that he'd come back for the A.I…' She leaned towards Jaune. 'And do you know what the A.I said?' she asked.

'What?' Jaune asked in return.

'"Don't make a girl a promise if you know you can't keep it.",' she quoted.

He blinked. 'Pretty profound for an A.I.'

'Yeah, well, there's this whole backstory to her, but that's not what I'm getting at.' Yang crossed her arms. 'The two of you promised a clean break, and you didn't quite hold up your end of the deal. Now see, Weiss is like a little sister to Blake and I. Should you two ever get back together in the future, you _better_ make sure that there aren't any complications, or else…' she trailed off, cracking her knuckles as her irises flashed red.

'Noted.'

'I'll do more than punch you in the gut.'

'Alright.'

'Blake will probably turn you into sushi.'

'Okay.'

'And I'm not just saying that because she's a cat Faunus. I've seen what she can do with a knife.'

'Yang,' Jaune winced. 'I get the picture.'

'Good,' she smirked. 'Live in fear, _Arc_.'

'At this rate, I don't think I'll be doing much living,' he sighed.

A scuffle coming from the tent's entrance interrupted them. 'Sorry it took so long,' Ruby called out, a bottle of water in hand. 'I ran into the rest of JNPR. Nora really wants to arm wrestle with you for some reason, Yang.'

'Oh good,' Yang said, her eyes burning at the challenge. 'I really need to get her back for launching me across the cafeteria way back when.' She swivelled back to Jaune. 'I'll check up on you a bit later, yeah?'

Jaune waved her off. 'See you then,' he said.

'Great,' Yang beamed. 'Rubes, come with me. We need a referee!'

'B-but,' Ruby said hesitantly. 'Jaune might need some company!'

'He's a big boy, he'll be fine.'

'I dunno…'

'You still don't have a crush on him or anything, do you?'

'That was from _way_ back in Beacon!'

'Wait.' Jaune blinked. 'You had a crush on me back in Beacon?'

Ruby's face turned redder than her cloak. 'N-no! I j-just! Uh-' Flummoxed for words, the twenty-six-year-old made a hasty retreat.

'Oops,' Yang laughed. 'That was supposed to be a secret.' She winked Jaune. 'Catch you later, vomit boy.'

'Yeah…' Jaune said, still amused by what he had just seen.

Hearing the squabbling of the sisters fade into the background, Jaune was once more left to his own devices. Seeing that he still lacked any real mobility, after taking a swig from the bottle, Jaune closed his eyes and went to sleep.

* * *

Light fingertips drummed along the wooden desk. Stacks upon stacks of paperwork lay strewn around the workspace. A sigh. A worn-out scroll sat, disconnected, atop one such pile of paper. It was precariously perched, _just_ out of reach. Another sigh.

Amidst the jungle of paperbacks and electronics sat a much stressed heiress. With her head currently in her hands, Weiss Schnee had ninety-nine problems, and a migraine was unfortunately one of them. The entire morning had been meeting after meeting after meeting… she was drained, to say the least.

A soft knock interrupted her self-made pity party. 'Weiss?' a voice said softly.

Weiss groaned back in response.

She heard soft laughter as a hand rested on her shoulder. 'It's time for lunch,' Blake said quietly. 'Do you want me to tell the cooks to prepare you something?'

Weiss made another non-committal noise.

Blake smiled. 'Alright then,' she said, starting to walk away. 'I'll tell them to prepare something later.'

The Faunus was a foot out the door when she heard Weiss speak. 'Wait,' she said, her head still in her hands.

Blake turned around. 'Yes?' she asked.

Weiss blearily looked up at her. 'Tell the cooks to make me a sandwich to go,' she muttered. 'I kinda want to go out today.'

'Oh?' Blake's cat ears twitched. 'Where to?'

'Well…' Weiss started, her face gradually breaking out into a soft smile. 'I feel like going to the park.'

* * *

_Kilometre Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _Apologies for the shortness, I'm kind of running out of steam on this fic. This serves more as "filler" to fill the time between Mile and League. Even then, not much happens here - just a conversation. It's kind of hard to write 2000 words of dialogue without it sounding… meh. Depending on how I feel, there will either be 14 or 16 chapters in total._

_Also, note to self: long breaks from writing makes you forget about the characters you've melded. I'm sorry if anyone sounds off-kilter._

_-Narutochaos22_


	13. Yard

**Summary:** _One day, maybe they'll revisit this scene, with a house that's bigger and with weather that's better._

**Yard**

**RWBY**

* * *

'Meargh…'

Bleary eyes opened slowly as twenty-five-year-old Jaune Arc opened his eyes. The piercing light of the setting sun filtering through the window made him squint. Finally, as the last remnants of grogginess left his mind, Jaune took time to look at his surroundings. First, there was confusion. Then, there was realisation. The spacious room, the large screen monitor, the _incredibly_ comfy couches…

It was more than a year later, and Jaune Arc was _still_ not used to calling Atlas "home".

A groan escaped from his lips and drowsiness set in once more. It had been a rough few months for the young hunter. Grimm activity had continued to spike around Remnant, forcing him to be on call more than he liked. It was… a strange occurrence, to say the least. There had not been quite a surge such as this since nearly ten years ago, back when he was still attending Beacon. Regardless, the long hunts had kept him away from Atl-… "Home". Having just got back in the morning, he was "pooped", to say the least.

Because of all this, it was a rare treat for him and Weiss to spend time together. The heiress herself had been kept busy at the headquarters of the Schnee Dust Company. With Blake by her side, she was working towards equal rights for the Faunus workers, while slowly taking more responsibilities from her father.

Another groan escaped his mouth as the world began to fade in and out of existence. With a large yawn, Jaune fell back asleep.

* * *

It was dark when Jaune opened his eyes again. In much the same manner as before, Jaune stretched before looking out the window. The moon was out. The stars were shining.

Night had fallen.

Far too lazy to get up, Jaune yawned widely before curling himself back into the couch. _Damn_, he was _really_ tired, he thought as he closed his eyes.

'Well this is amusing to watch.'

Jaune's eyes sprang open in alarm. He was on his feet in an instant.

…

Well, at least, he would have been, if his legs were awake. Instead, in a very heroic fashion, Jaune sprawled onto the floor, moaning as his face planted into the ground.

A boot toed his carcass. 'You alright?' the voice asked amusedly.

'Oh, I'm great,' Jaune muffled from the carpet. 'Just great.'

A quiet laugh. 'Honestly,' the voice murmured, rolling him over. 'Shouldn't a hunter be prepared for all situations?'

Jaune grinned sheepishly. 'This is the long con. I'm actually playing possum.'

'Oh really?'

'Yeah.'

'Then why haven't you done anything yet?'

'Well obviously a sneak attack wouldn't work on you,' Jaune said, rolling his eyes. 'Now are you gonna help me up or what?'

Blake laughed again. 'You two really are meant for each other,' she said, hoisting him up.

Back on his feet, Jaune began to stretch his legs. 'Speaking of which,' he asked. 'Why are you here?'

Blake smirked. 'Well, I _tried_ calling you…' she drawled. 'But it appears that you were quite… busy, so I brought her home instead.'

Jaune's brow furrowed. 'Something's wrong with Weiss?'

'Easy now, she's just overworked,' Blake explained. 'I found her asleep at her desk. I didn't want to wake her, so I carried her back here.'

'Oh,' Jaune said. 'Where is she now?'

'I took her upstairs and put her to bed,' Blake said as she started to walk away. 'I need to head back, so I'll leave things to you.'

Jaune raised his hand. 'Seeya,' he called out.

Hearing the door slam shut, Jaune yawned once more before making the trek up the stairs. _Is it just me or did she make these steeper?_ he thought to himself.

Entering the bedroom, Jaune's gaze fell upon a bundle in the sheets. As he approached, he found his favourite heiress wrapped in a plethora of blankets, sound asleep. Crawling beside her, Jaune laid down. Ah, bliss. Despite being comfy, the mattress was infinitely more comfy than the comfy couch. Now in a relaxed position, Jaune turned to face Weiss. Blake had removed the hair tie, letting her hair down. Reaching over, Jaune tucked a few loose strands that had gotten on her face. As he was pulling back, her hand caught his.

'So warm,' Weiss breathed.

Jaune laughed. 'Fine,' he said softly. 'You can take the hand.'

'So warm,' Weiss repeated, pulling herself forward and burrowing into his chest.

Jaune shook his head in amusement. He very rarely saw "Drowsy Weiss", but it was quite the sight when he did. Gone was the uptight woman, stressed by the world and all the woes that came with it. Instead she was replaced by a girl - a girl who just wanted to rest easy and sleep. He reached with his other hand and began stroking her head. _And so she will_, he silently declared.

* * *

Time passed. Seconds turned to minutes and minutes turned to hours.

It was some time after midnight when Jaune was wakened by a stirring he felt. Pulling away from his chest, Weiss opened her eyes and looked up at him sleepily. Jaune looked back down at her, a smile on his lips.

'Jaune?' she asked.

'Morning, sleepyhead,' he grinned.

'Morning?' Confusion etched across her face. 'Wha-what are you doing in my office?'

'Your office?' Jaune motioned around him. 'This look like your office?'

Bemused eyes followed his hand as Weiss gazed at her surroundings. Then, like a switch, her bewilderment flicked to alarm.

'Crap,' she said, struggling to get out of the sheets. 'What time is it? I need to get back!'

'Uh, no,' Jaune said slowly, gently pushing her back down. 'Right now you need to rest.'

'There's no time to rest!' Panicked diamond eyes looked wildly at him. 'I need to work, I need-!'

'You need to _rest_,' Jaune said firmly.

'I-'

'Weiss.'

'But-'

'I'm not letting you get up,' Jaune said, his gaze hardening.

'Ergh…' Realising her defeat, Weiss fell back into the mattress. 'Fine,' she snapped, turning away from him. 'You win. Happy?'

'Really now,' Jaune murmured, his eyes softening. 'What's got you so worked up?'

'Nothing.'

He reached to touch her shoulder. 'Weiss…'

She shrugged it off violently. 'Leave me alone!' she fumed.

Jaune sighed. 'Well, alright then,' he said, turning to face the other way. 'Have it your way.'

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

Silence.

_Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock._

'Jaune?' he heard her call out tentatively. 'I know you're awake…'

Jaune didn't respond.

'Hey,' she said in a small voice. 'Don't ignore me…'

Jaune continued to be still.

A few moments later, an arm wrapped itself around his waist. 'Please,' she mumbled. 'Don't be mad at me.'

Feeling that she had had enough, Jaune swivelled towards her. 'Where's my sorry?' he asked gently.

Weiss' face remained buried in his chest. 'I'm sorry,' she whispered.

Jaune kissed the top of her head. 'I'm sorry, too,' he admitted. 'It's been a long day. I didn't mean to be harsh.'

They stayed like that for a while, their breathing eventually syncing. He breathed in, she breathed out. She breathed in, he breathed out.

Pulling her away slightly, Jaune looked down. 'Look at me,' he said.

Slowly but surely, Weiss' gaze turned upwards.

'What's eating at you?' he asked. 'Why have you been working yourself so hard?'

'I…' Weiss hesitated. 'It feels like I haven't done anything.'

Jaune cocked his head. 'What do you mean?'

'I've been at the company for a year now,' she said. 'I've been giving it my all, but nothing's changed.' She trembled slightly. 'Everything's still the same!'

She took a breath before continuing. 'I can't even look Blake in the face these days. I promised her back at Beacon that I'd try my best to fix things for her people, and in turn she's been so kind to me. She patiently let me be a huntress and do what I wanted to do before I started working. Heck, she even gave up being a huntress to be _my _bodyguard. And what do I have to show for it? It's been nearly ten years since that promise and I've given her nothing but my selfishness!'

Weiss' breathing quickened. 'And I barely see you anymore,' she blabbered. 'What if one day, you have enough and you just leave? What if you just leave me all alone because I'm _so focused_ on fulfilling my promise to Blake? W-what if I wake up one day, turn over in our bed, and y-you're not there?' Weiss trembled again before looking downwards once more. 'What h-happens then?'

For the umpteenth time in the night, Jaune sighed. 'Honestly,' he started. 'I really wish you'd give me more credit.' He kissed the top of her head. 'Don't worry about me,' he said softly. 'I'm not going anywhere.'

Weiss didn't move.

'And as for your promise to Blake, well…' Jaune paused. 'First and foremost, she's your friend. And because she's your friend, she doesn't hold you wanting to be a huntress first against you. She knows that you probably want nothing to do with the company, but you're doing this for her as well as other Faunus. She knows just what you're sacrificing for the "greater good." She knows you, and that you're always true to your word.' Jaune smiled. 'She would never resent you.'

Weiss remained quiet.

'Also, Blake also knows better than anyone that Faunus rights won't come overnight,' Jaune continued. 'No matter how hard you work, it's always going to be a long process. There's no point in killing yourself over it. What if you collapse one day, or if you're bedridden for a week? What good would you be then? You need to pace yourself and remain healthy. No more long nights unless they're necessary. If you keep this up, one day you might not be able to do anything anymore.'

The atmosphere once more lapsed into silence after Jaune finished. With nothing left to say, he lay still.

'You're right,' Weiss admitted quietly, pulling away. 'I hate to say it, but you're right.'

'You hate to?' Jaune grimaced. 'Is it really so weird to agree with something I say?'

'Well, yeah,' she said. 'When did you become so profound?'

'Maybe I've always been profound and you just didn't realise it.'

'Or maybe Ren's been lending you some of his books on philosophy.'

'He's only leant me one and I found it very interesting, thank you very much.'

Weiss giggled. 'But of course,' she said.

Jaune smiled. 'There we go,' he said. 'You know, you should laugh more.'

Weiss tilted her head. 'Why?'

'Because it makes coming back here that much more worth it.'

'Ugh,' Weiss wrinkled her nose. 'There's a certain line between philosophy and cheese, and you just crossed it.'

Jaune shrugged. 'You say cheese, I say truth. It's all relative in the end.'

'I don't think you know what "relative" means.'

'Of course I do. Stop being such a polaroid.'

'Seriously? Polaroid?'

'What else could I mean? Serendipity?'

'Okay, now you're just doing being a jerk.'

'A jerk? I'm just being ubiquitous.'

'You're hopeless,' Weiss said, rolling her eyes as she laughed.

'See?' Jaune grinned. 'Totally worth it.'

Weiss shoved him in the chest. 'Such a dunce,' she murmured tiredly, fatigue once more setting in.

Jaune checked his scroll. 'You should sleep,' he said. 'Or else you won't be able to concentrate later today.'

Weiss nodded lethargically. 'Will you…' she hesitated. 'Will you be here when I wake up?'

Jaune rolled his eyes. 'Seriously? You still have doubts?'

'Just say you will,' she mumbled, her cheeks flushing red.

'Honestly,' Jaune said, laughing quietly. Leaning in, he kissed her forehead. 'I'll be here in the morning,' he breathed. 'Don't worry.'

There was a pause. 'Promise?' she said quietly.

Jaune smiled. 'I promise.'

* * *

_Yard Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _After much thinking, I've decided to pull through with 16 chapters. If you're perceptive enough, then you should know how this already ends. I've left a few hints here and there. Even then, it's not like I'm reinventing the wheel or anything, ahaha. Things are as they are._

_All I'll say about the next few chapters is that we're done with the school arc (no pun intended). I feel that I've explored that area of their lives long enough._

_To those who wonder where GEP's been lately, he's currently taking a sabbatical. He'll be back when he feels like it._

_\- Narutochaos22_


	14. Micrometre

**Summary:** _There's still time left._

**Micrometre**

**RWBY**

* * *

It had been a long day.

The bed springs groaned as Weiss Schnee plopped herself down, lying down sprawled across the mattress. A sigh escaped the thirty-seven-year-old's lips as she stretched, hearing and feeling the pops and cracks that emitted from her back. Mustering up enough strength, she flopped onto her stomach, lying there - still. Another exhale escaped her as her shoulders sagged in exhaustion.

It had indeed been a long day.

But it was the day that the world of Remnant had been waiting for.

Not only three odd hours earlier, had the heiress- no, had the president of the Schnee Dust Company had made a speech at a press conference. Not only three odd hours earlier, had she called Adam Taurus, leader of the White Fang, to take the stage. And, not only three odd hours earlier, had they shaken hands to the melody of applause.

Yes, today marked the day that finally signalled the end to all of this conflict.

It was over. Faunus rights could finally begin to take root. And it would start with the Schnee Dust Company. And as she looked over the sea of faces, Weiss saw many emotions. Happiness, hope, euphoria… it was surreal, to say the least. All of her hard work, all of those years had led up to such a moment. And it delivered.

But with all of the day's ups, it also had its downs. For today marked the final day Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long would be her bodyguards.

Despite their initial reluctance, Weiss had convinced them to not renew their contracts. Blake had given all of her life to righting the wrongs set upon the Faunus. Now that things were finally being set in motion, Weiss believed that she should have the privilege to experience this at its fullest. And Yang, like her sister, belonged out in the world. She was supposed to go out on adventures and discover epic encounters. Sitting behind a desk or guarding a door just wasn't who she was at heart.

As her final command, Weiss had sent them home early. Lord knows they had much to celebrate.

And now, in her sleeping gown, with her body showered and her teeth brushed, Weiss Schnee was ready to turn in. Lids became heavy as fatigue creaked into her bones. Throwing the sheets over her and clicking off the lamp, Weiss prepared to enter the land of dreams.

_Knock knock._

Diamond eyes dazedly opened in confusion.

_Knock knock._

The rapping of knuckles at her front door sounded throughout the house. Weiss' eyebrows creased in annoyance.

_Knock knock knock knock._

With an irritated sigh, Weiss swung her legs over the side of the bed. Heaven help whoever was on the other side of the door. The knocker knocked again as she made her way into the foyer. Peering through the peephole, Weiss opened her mouth, ready to give the victim a piece of her mind.

'Hi.'

Weiss stumbled back in shock.

'Sorry,' a voice muffled hastily from the other side of the door. 'I didn't mean to scare you.'

Weiss remained rigid.

'Sorry for coming here out of the blue,' the voice continued uneasily. 'It's just… I guess I just kinda found my way here.'

Atlas' clock tower tolled, signalling midnight.

'I'm not… intruding or anything, am I?' the voice said hesitantly. 'I… I'm sorry if I am. Wow, I've been saying "I'm sorry" a lot.' A nervous laugh. 'But uh, anyway… are you still there?'

Weiss continued her silence.

'Well… it'd be really awkward if I'm just talking to an empty space,' the voice quipped humorously. 'But, if I think I still know you, then I think you're still there… so if you are there, just… listen to what I have to say.'

Weiss stood still.

'So uh…' the voice started. 'That was quite a speech earlier. Yeah, I was there. Somewhere in the back. It's amazing how confident you are now, how much you've grown… well, then again it _has_ been ten years. We're… we're definitely not the same people.

'Anyway, uh… enough avoiding the topic, I guess,' the voice paused. 'I'm here because… well, because of you.'

Taking cautious steps forward, Weiss swivelled around, sliding her back against the door as she sat down.

'I uh…' the voice struggled for words. 'It's… man, I'm really stuffing this up.'

Weiss couldn't help it. A giggle burst from her lips.

A sigh. 'Oh man,' the voice murmured. 'You have no idea how much I missed that laugh…'

Silence came over them once more.

'Anyway,' the voice said. 'I don't know where to start, so… I'll just kinda… go where I can, I guess.'

Weiss still refused to speak.

'I've been hanging around Vacuo the last couple of years, helping rebuild it. It's taken… a _lot_ of damage, so progress has been pretty slow. It's been pretty fun, though. Sans you three, the rest of the gang's over there, so it's not really lonely…' the voice paused. 'And yet, it still somewhat is.'

Weiss steadily looked forward.

'It's… I uh… when Yang came to visit, she told me not to come back here until there were no complications. Then, Blake told me a few years back to stay clear of you so that I wouldn't be a distraction. So, honouring the both of them, I kept my distance from you. And now… now it's all over. Vacuo's safe, and Faunus rights are finally getting somewhere… so, uh…'

Weiss' heartbeat quickened.

'In my time fighting the Grimm in Vacuo, I'd seen a lot of things,' the voice said. 'I'd seen innocent people torn apart, I'd seen comrades been carried away by Nevermore… hell, one of my division pushed me out of the way from being stomped by a Goliath.' The voice's voice hitched. 'I… I can still hear the crunching of bones. Aura or not… some things just… they just can't…

'What I'm trying to say is that uh… I've seen people, both young and old die. Even people younger than I was… it was so… I… uh…' The voice cleared its throat. 'What it taught me is that life is so… fragile. So many of us take it for granted, and think that we're immortal, that it's us who decide when we die… and yet…

'I'm not the same person I was, Weiss,' the voice admitted. 'Just like you're not the same person you used to be. We probably can't go back to how we once were, but… I am… tired, of wasting time. Ten years. _Ten years_… it's taken us… me, ten years to get back here. And I… I don't want to waste any more time. Because nobody knows when their time… just runs out.'

Weiss tilted her head back, lightly tapping it against the door.

'If you…' the voice said quietly. 'If you believe that there's still something. That we still have another… I dunno, "chapter" to write, then open the door. We don't have to go back instantly. You could just invite me in, and we could just… sit and chat over a cup of coffee.' The voice chuckled to itself. 'It's been a while since I've had good coffee…'

A small smile made its way onto Weiss' face.

'But, on the other hand, if you believe that there's nothing left. If you don't think that we can work a second time, then leave the door closed. And as for me, I'll… I'll walk away,' the voice offered. 'I'll walk away, and a couple of days, weeks, or months down the line, we'll bump into each other again. We could go to a cafe and sit and chat… as friends.'

Slowly staggering to her feet, Weiss faced the door.

'I know… I know that I didn't leave on the highest of notes, and you have every right to be upset, but…' A jittery laugh. 'I'd really appreciate it if you opened the door.' Another laugh. 'I… I'm just… tired of feeling like I'm alone.'

Weiss stared down the door. Her mind raced. What did she want to do? What was it that she truly wanted? She didn't know. It was strange. To let the voice back in – wasn't it something she had craved for so long? And yet… here she was, hesitating. It had been ten years, after all. Could they… could they truly go back? Her hand hung loose in front of the door as the two sides of her brain waged war against each other.

'There's still time left, Weiss,' the voice said, interrupting her thoughts. 'The last ten years have taught me that age doesn't matter. If you're time's up, then it's up. But… I believe that we still have time left. I don't know how much, but it's still not too late to start over. I… I'm leaving the choice to you. It's not my call… it's yours.'

Weiss' head snapped up. The war was over. She had decided. Resolution burned in every fibre of her body. Tensing her hand, she slowly reached toward the door.

'But…' the voice continued. 'If you feel the same way I do. If you feel it, somewhere deep down… then…'

Closer… closer… and closer still…

'Then just open the door.'

* * *

_Micrometre Fin_


	15. Thou

**Summary:** _Do you know what today is?_

**Thou**

**RWBY**

* * *

_Beep, beep!_

Jaune yawned sleepily as he walked away from his parked car. It had been far too hot for today's shenanigans, and yet such aforementioned shenanigans still found a way to happen.

For the better part of the day, the twenty-four-year-old found himself stuck in an office, queuing up in line with Pyrrha. It was a hassle, really. One would think that in a world where androids and holograms exist, that renewing one's hunting license could be done at the press of a button. Unfortunately, such an activity still required filling out mountains of paperwork and signing initials at twenty spots too many.

Also, as luck would have it, the office only opened starting from the afternoon.

Despite the two of them arriving early, to their dismay a line had already formed. An extremely, long, long, line. Ignoring Jaune's pleas to just come later in the week, Pyrrha had reasoned that it was going to be bad no matter what day they came in on. And so, several, _several _hours later, everything was done and dusted. After catching a bite to eat at a nearby cafe, the two of them had parted ways - the burden on their shoulders now considerably lighter.

Exiting from the elevator (heaven help he use the stairs in his state), Jaune plodded towards the apartment door. Fumbling in his jacket pockets, he scavenged a key. Inserting it into lock, Jaune twisted it clockwise before pushing the door open.

That is, he would have, if the door wasn't already being opened from the other side.

Surprise crept onto his face as Jaune looked up. He was met with a startled sea of grey.

'Ruby?' he started. 'What're you doing here?'

'Wow Jaune, some greeting,' she said, feigning hurt.

'Well…' Jaune's brow quirked. 'It's more of because it's so _late_… but I am glad to see you. Especially since you're uh… _properly dressed_ this time.'

The red-cloaked huntress reached up to swat him across the head. 'Meanie,' she pouted. 'That was just once!'

'Yeah, well,' Jaune shrugged. 'That "one time" got me an earful of Weiss. And I'm pretty sure she _still_ hasn't forgiven me for that.'

'Weiss did what now?' a voice called from the kitchen. A white-haired head bobbed into view. 'Oh,' Weiss said, her face brightening. 'You're back. Did you see Blake and Yang on the way up?'

'No I didn't…' Jaune said slowly. He looked to Ruby. 'Your whole team was here? You guys didn't have some super-ultra-duper-cool party without my team or something, did you?'

'Maybe…' Ruby drawled.

'Not cool, Red!' Jaune said, crossing his arms.

'Sorry Jaune,' the twenty-two-year-old laughed, holding a finger to her lips. 'I'm sure Weiss will tell you all the details, anyway! But anywho, I gotta get going.' Ruby looked over her shoulder. 'Seeya later, Weissy!' she chirped to the heiress, before brushing past Jaune and walking out the door.

'Bye,' Weiss called out after her. She turned to Jaune. 'I've been washing up,' she said, walking into the room. 'Blake and Yang brought some milk tea with them. I put it in the fridge. You should have some, it's really good.'

'Maybe later,' Jaune said, stepping forward and shutting the door behind him. 'I'm more curious about this little party of yours.'

'You don't actually believe that we had a party _without_ you guys, right?' Weiss asked, rolling her eyes.

'I know,' Jaune said as he strode past the heiress, and leaping onto the couch ('Such a child,' Weiss scoffed). 'I'm not that stupid.'

'Good.'

'I mean, who throws a party on a _Monday_?'

Weiss' scarred eye twitched. 'Sometimes I have no idea why I put up with you,' she sighed.

'Because you're a masochist and you love it,' Jaune said brightly, looking up from his position.

Shaking her head, Weiss made her way to the couch. 'Move over,' she ordered. 'I want to sit down.'

'But I _just_ got here…'

'And murdered the cushions in the process. Seriously, move over.'

'But there are two perfectly good couches right _there_.'

'Jaune…'

'Weiss…'

'_Jaune…_'

'Alright _fine_,' Jaune conceded, righting himself. 'If m'lady insists.'

'Thank you,' Weiss simpered as she sat.

Once she was seated, Jaune reverted back to his previous position, resting his head on her lap. Weiss scoffed, but made no effort to move him.

'So…' Jaune said, looking up at her. 'What was the big occasion?'

Weiss took a moment before responding. 'We were…' she paused again. 'We were talking about our license renewals.'

'Oh?' Jaune asked.

'Yeah,' Weiss said quietly. 'We were… figuring things out.'

Confusion. 'What was there to figure out?'

Clarity. 'Blake and I aren't renewing our licenses.'

_Blink_. 'Oh.' _Blink, blink_. '_Oh_.'

'Yeah,' Weiss said quietly.

'Why not?'

'We're going to go work for my father's company.'

'Uh huh…' Jaune sat up. 'A little heads up would have been nice,' he said sourly, turning to look at her.

The heiress grimaced. 'I didn't want to tell you until we were sure.'

'It's still a _big_ decision, Weiss. Couples usually talk about big decisions.'

'I know, I know,' she sighed. 'I just… I dunno.' She looked at him closely. 'You're mad, aren't you?'

'Well,' Jaune said, running a hand through his hair. 'It's not that I'm mad at you, but we could have at least _talked_ about this.' He shook his head. 'I mean, this is _kind of _a big deal, you know? Don't try to do the whole lone warrior-thingy. That's what I'm here for.'

'I know,' Weiss repeated. 'I'm sorry… I'm just not good at this stuff.' She patted her knees. 'Forgive me?'

Jaune looked at her. A mistake. It would seem that anyone who was affiliated with a _certain _huntress eventually acquired her puppy-dog-eye ability.

'Alright, alright,' Jaune said, giving a resigned chuckle. 'So, are they opening a branch in Vale soon or…?' he trailed off as he lay back down.

'I'll be working at the main headquarters in Atlas.'

He promptly sat back up. '_Weiss_,' he groaned.

'Sorry,' the heiress said meekly.

Jaune turned and looked at her exasperatedly. 'When?' he asked.

'Two months from now,' the heiress said guiltily. 'My father will be sending someone over with the paperwork sometime in the next week.'

'Finally, some leg room,' Jaune said with relief. He stood up and stretched. 'You don't have any more bombshells to lay on me do you?' he grimaced.

'Well…'

'Oh god no I was kidding-'

'I drank most of the milk tea.'

'Oh. Well _how on earth_ will I survive?'

The two laughed quietly before lapsing into silence.

'So,' Jaune started. 'Why the change of heart?'

'I…' Weiss took a moment before answering. 'I always intended to go to the company and change my father's… _less than ethical_ procedures when it comes to labour… it was just a matter of when.' She looked out the window. 'A promise with Blake just made "when" easier.'

'A promise?' Jaune asked.

Weiss nodded. 'It was back in our first year, sometime after we found out about Blake. I promised that I'd be the one to make the change to the company… But first, I wanted _one term_.' She held up a finger. 'One term, three years of being a huntress. I wanted to help people and make them, especially Faunus, at least _begin_ to _not_ resent the Schnee family name. And, I also just… wanted to enjoy some the things I never got to do when I was younger. And Blake was… very nice about it. She agreed in return that when the time came, I'd take her with me.'

'And what's she gonna do?'

'Be my bodyguard. Probably be an ambassador further down the line.'

Jaune laughed. 'Somehow, I can see her being a really good bodyguard,' he said. Then his face turned solemn. 'She's going to have to go back to wearing the bow, isn't she?'

'That's… up to her,' Weiss murmured. 'No one, not even my father, can say otherwise about me hiring her. I'm the _Schnee heiress_, after all. What I say will ultimately go. But… with the company being what it is… it's up to Blake if she wants to… _deal_ with all that comes with being a Faunus in that environment.'

'I see,' Jaune said, nodding. 'Well then,' he began. 'Have you got some place for us to live over there?'

'Well, I'm starting to make inquiries starting tomorr- wait.' Weiss' eyes widened. 'You want to come with me?'

Jaune cocked his head. 'You're trying to get rid of me?' he teased. 'And here I thought your days as the _Ice Queen_ were behind you.'

'I-I just,' the heiress stuttered. 'I t-thought it'd b-be too much trouble a-and… y-you and Pyrrha and… I d-didn't know if-'

'Easy there,' Jaune breathed, crouching before her. 'Pyrrha's wanted to go back to Mistral for quite some time. This will just make everything less of a hassle for us all. We can just meet at mission rendezvous points.' He gave a small grin. 'Unless you don't want me to go with you, then I'm _completely_ fine going with her to a warmer place-'

_Thump._

The rest of Jaune's sentence was swallowed by the heiress throwing herself against him. Lacking proper balance, with a startled cry the two of them fell onto the carpet.

'Oof,' Jaune gasped, winded. 'You okay?' he asked, turning to his burrowed companion.

He felt a nod on his chest accompanied by a few tremors. Looking properly, he realised that Weiss was trembling.

'Hey,' he soothed. 'Calm down. You don't need to be jealous. I'm not _actually_ going to Mistral, you know?'

'I know that,' her voice muffled shakily.

'You sure? Because I seem to remember a similar situation a couple of years back-'

Weiss pulled back, thumping him on the chest. 'I really am a masochist,' she grumbled as she wiped her eyes.

'Yeah,' he laughed. 'You really are.'

Weiss shifted around, trying to make herself comfortable. She eventually ended up lying on Jaune's shoulder. The two remained there, unmoving and in silence.

'Hey,' Weiss said quietly.

'Mm?' Jaune sounded. He had his eyes closed.

He felt a presence above him. Opening his eyes, he was met with a set of diamonds. 'This… this will work, right?' their owner asked tentatively. 'We'll… be okay… right?'

Jaune chose not to say anything. Instead, he leaned in. And the diamonds shut in turn.

It was quite some time later when they were back on the couch. Stifling a yawn, Jaune pulled out his scroll.

It was midnight.

Peering at the date, his face broke into a smile.

'Hey,' he murmured, nudging her awake. 'It's midnight.'

'Mm?' she slurred sleepily. Her eyes were closed and her body was curled. 'What about it?'

'Do you know what today is?' he asked.

Said eyes opened blearily. 'No,' she admitted tiredly, yawning into his shoulder. 'Is today something important?'

He laughed. 'Well, it depends on what you mean by "important",' he said.

'Well, aren't you going to tell me?' she prodded, rubbing her eyes.

'Soon,' he replied. 'Just… give it a moment.'

'Why?'

'You'll see.'

'… Okay.'

One minute past midnight.

And still they remained.

Two minutes.

Three.

'Weiss?'

'Mm?'

'Come on.' He tugged her sleeve. 'I feel like dancing.'

* * *

_Thou Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _This fic only exists because of **that**_ _fic, after all. It's only fitting that I pay tribute to it before the end._

_The last chapter is around the corner. Guys, it's been a hell of a ride. To quote the Tenth Doctor, _"**_I don't want to go."_** _;_;_

_\- Narutochaos22_


	16. Millimetre

**Summary:** _Did you ever think that we'd get here?_

**[**Date Auction**]**

Inch _Hectometre_ Decimetre _Foot_ Furlong _Metre _Decametre _Centimetre _Chain _Thou _Yard _League _Kilometre _Mile_ Micrometre

**Millimetre**

**RWBY**

* * *

'Stupid freaking little… _gah_!'

Jaune Arc was a man. A… _mature_ man, at that. At the age of forty, he could do many things adequately. He could cook and not burn something. He could fix small problems that appeared around the house. He could even spar somewhat well. Yes, the Jaune Arc of forty was a completely different person in comparison to the Jaune Arc of eighteen. And Jaune took pride in that he no longer needed to rely on others. He had become self-reliant. It was truly remar-

'_Why _won't you freaking work?!'

Jaune Arc couldn't tie a bowtie.

'Come on, come on…' Jaune muttered irritably. 'Like the video said, you just bring it around the back and… pull it thr- _oh for the love of-_!' Being unsuccessful once again, he tore the bowtie from his neck, flinging it onto the floor.

It wasn't enough.

Taking his shoe, he began to stamp on it. 'Yeah, take that you silly little…' he trailed off into grunts as he continued to tread on it.

'Am I intruding?'

Jaune froze. Rigidly turning around, he looked up guiltily at the owner of the voice.

'You know,' the person sighed. 'You may be a forty-year-old man, but you still act like a child.'

'Ehehe,' Jaune grinned sheepishly. 'It really… didn't want to tie, you know?'

'Oh really now?' the person smiled exasperatedly, walking towards him. Stooping down to pick up the bowtie, they began the _arduous_ process of tying it for Jaune. 'Honestly, you're lucky this doesn't wrinkle easy.'

Jaune laughed. 'You sound like my mother,' he said.

'I'll take that as a compliment,' the person replied humorously. 'There.' They stood back to admire their work. 'All done.'

Jaune turned to look at the mirror. He sighed. Trust _her_ of all people to be able to do everything and anything.

He turned to his companion. 'What would I do without you, Pyrrha?' he asked, his lip curling into a wry smile.

Green eyes warmed with mirth. 'Not much, I'm afraid,' she said.

Jaune laughed again. 'It's good to see you before the whole… you know, wedding thing.'

'Call me selfish, but I wanted to be one of the first people to see you in a tuxedo,' Pyrrha murmured, admiring the outfit. 'I heard from Ren that apparently before him, you wanted to make _me_ your best man.'

'Well,' Jaune said, scratching his head. 'That was the plan, but…'

'But?'

'Let's just say I enjoy walking.'

'… I see,' Pyrrha said with a laugh. 'It's a shame, really. I think I would have enjoyed wearing a tuxedo.'

'Well,' Jaune said. 'If it makes you feel any better, I think the evening gown suits your better.'

'Careful now,' Pyrrha chuckled, looking down at her apparel. 'Today's supposed to be all about the bride.'

'Oh come on,' Jaune grinned. 'You know I didn't mean anything by that. And besides,' he added. 'I'm pretty sure your husband would beat the living hell out of me.'

'Oh, I know,' Pyrrha teased. 'I've known you for over twenty years, after all.'

The two shared a laugh.

'Over twenty years, huh?' Jaune murmured, lost in thought as he sat down. 'Has it really been that long?'

'Yes,' Pyrrha said, pulling up a chair beside him. 'It really has.'

'Strange,' Jaune said slowly. 'Being here now… it feels like it was only yesterday that I walked through Beacon's gates.' He laughed as he gave Pyrrha a glance. 'And the day after that, you pinned me to a damn tree.'

'Sorry,' Pyrrha smiled. 'I honestly didn't know any other way to stop you from falling.'

'Nah,' Jaune smiled back. 'If you didn't pick me that day, then I don't think we would ever have ended up here.' He bumped her shoulder lightly. 'I'm grateful for that.'

Pyrrha laughed. 'You're very welcome, then,' she said.

The two sat like that for a while in silence, taking in what was about to happen today.

'Well then,' Pyrrha said as she got up. 'I guess I'll go back to my seat.' She winked before starting to walk off. 'Good luck Jaune,' she called over shoulder.

'See you-' Jaune started before breaking off. _No_, his mind thought. _Just one more thing_. 'Pyrrha, wait,' he said.

Pyrrha halted. 'Yes, Jaune?' she asked without turning.

'Did you…' Jaune paused. 'Did you ever regret that we didn't try again?'

Slowly but surely, Pyrrha turned to face him. 'For the longest time, I did,' she admitted. 'I didn't want to admit it to myself for the longest time, because I could see that you were moving on.' She smiled sadly. 'I… didn't want to ruin that.'

'… Huh,' Jaune muttered to himself. He really was inept when it came to other's feelings. But hey, at least he was more _tactful_ now. That was an improvement, right?

'But, you know…' she continued. 'I eventually found someone. And I'm happy now. He makes me very happy,' she smiled, her face brightening. 'He's all that I could ever ask for.'

'Good,' Jaune chuckled. 'That's good.'

'Now then, Jaune,' Pyrrha said, walking towards him once more. 'It's my turn to ask you something.'

'Fire away.'

Emerald orbs twinkled. 'Are you happy, Jaune?'

Jaune's answer was instantaneous. 'Yes.'

'Do you think that this is the happiest you could ever be?'

Again, instant. 'Yes.'

A smile. 'But how can you know that for sure?'

'Well, that's simple,' Jaune grinned. 'It's because I'm getting married today.'

* * *

The atmosphere was tense.

Well, to Jaune it was anyway.

The piano trilled throughout the church as Jaune sweated his heart out. Panic surged through his veins. What if something went wrong? What if he screwed up? What then?

'Jaune?' Ren's voice broke through the groom's furtive search for the closest escape route. 'Are you feeling okay?'

'He's fine,' Neptune smirked from beside him. 'Lover boy's just feeling a bit jittery is all.'

'R-really?' Jaune stammered, his voice cracking. 'W-what gave it away?'

Ren raised his eyebrows while Neptune brought a hand to his face.

'So not cool, man,' Neptune groaned. 'Ren, do something about him.'

'Just relax, Jaune,' Ren said softly, patting him on the shoulder. 'Everything will be fine.'

'Yeah,' Jaune said, shaking his head. 'Of course, yeah. I'm just over-reacting. Yeah.' He shook his head. 'I gotta calm down.'

'Good,' his best man encouraged. 'Just keep it together. This is supposed to be the best moment of your life. And, as always, remember to-'

'"Keep moving forward", I know,' Jaune said, laughing shakily. 'Those are some strong words to live by, pal.'

Ren's mouth turned upward. 'I try,' he said wryly.

Suddenly the piano changed its tune, causing Jaune to squeak. Those who heard him laughed quietly while Ren and Neptune collectively sighed. Embarrassed, Jaune bashfully looked towards the entrance, avoiding eye contact with everyone as the procession began. He began to drown everything out, focusing only on breathing slowly. In. Out. In. Out.

_Okay Jaune_, he thought to himself as the procession continued. _Just play it cool. You just have to play it cool. You will __**not**_ _wet your pants. Repeat after me. You will __**not**_ _wet your pants. You will __**not**_ _wet your pants. You will __**not**__-_

Jaune's mind grounded to a halt.

He saw her.

For a moment, once again he was an eighteen-year-old boy in a classroom, playing some game on his scroll with her. For a moment, once again they were scuffling, leading to him clumsily sprawling on top of her. For a moment, once again he was terrified, jerking back and bracing himself from imminent slaughter.

For a moment, once again instead of being shanked, he instead heard peals of laughter.

For a moment, once again as he was looking down, he found himself looking upon the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

And it was with this same feeling that Jaune looked upon Weiss Schnee now. It is as the world says: the more things change, the more they stay the same.

As if on cue, she looked up and their eyes met.

Time seemed to slow down.

He stared.

She stared back.

He smiled.

She smiled back.

Time resumed once more.

He stared as she smiled. She smiled as he stared.

And she continued to smile as she walked right past him.

Taking her place as the Maid of Honour.

* * *

Jaune collapsed on his chair, exhausted. He had forgotten how energetic his bride-now-wife could be. Though still preferring casual clothing, she had become more open to the idea of formal wear as well as the… _events_ that came with it.

'Ugh,' Jaune panted, holding his head in his hands. 'I think I'm getting too old for this.'

'What are you, her grandfather?' a voice quipped dryly.

Jaune looked up. 'I might as well be,' he wheezed. 'Such a sad life. I remember having so much energy once upon a time…'

'Oh shut up,' the voice admonished. 'Here.' A glass of water was thrust in face. 'You need to get hydrated. The last thing this reception needs is you puking everywhere.' A smirk. 'But it would be rather fitting.'

Jaune rolled his eyes. 'It's been over twenty years,' he said exasperatedly as he took the glass. 'Can't you give it a rest?'

'Some things never get old,' Weiss simpered as she sat beside him. 'And to be precise, it's been twenty-three years.'

Jaune laughed. 'Always the precise person, aren't you?' he murmured, looking out onto the dancefloor. He spotted Yang swinging the bride around in a flurry of haphazard movement while Blake watched from afar with her scroll out, filming the whole thing. Catching his eye, the bride beamed at him, her silvery-grey eyes filled with excitement. Jaune smiled back. They all looked like they were having such fun.

'She looks like she's having fun,' Weiss said softly.

Jaune turned to see the president of the Schnee Dust Company with a peaceful expression on her face. 'Yeah,' he said quietly. 'She does.'

'And she'll continue to have fun from here on out,' Weiss continued. 'She's very lucky to have you, Jaune.' A smile. 'Any girl would be.'

Jaune's brow quirked. 'Don't be inflating my ego, now.'

'You're implying that it isn't already.'

'Oh now you're just being _mean_.'

'I'm only speaking the truth. It's not my fault that you're in denial.'

The two of them laughed, drowning themselves in the music. Again, no expense was spared. Being the Maid of Honour, Weiss had insisted on making sure that it was the "best wedding possible". Looking around, Jaune was still mystified by how much lien had gone into this. It was more than he had ever made as his tenure as a hunter.

'Hey,' he said, breaking the silence.

'Mm?' Weiss replied.

'Did you ever think that we'd get here?' he asked.

Weiss tilted her head. 'What do you mean?'

'You know…' Jaune gestured with his hands. 'Here. Just… here.'

'Oh.' Weiss blinked. 'Honestly? No,' she said, shaking her head. 'It still amazes me that we were able to do so much for Remnant. I still wake up every day in awe.'

'I know what you mean,' Jaune said distantly. 'It's like… you can almost feel the… I dunno, _change_ in the air.'

'Yeah…' Weiss said quietly. 'Speaking of change, I heard you were offered the position of headmaster for Beacon. Congratulations.'

'Thanks,' Jaune smiled. 'But I'll be turning it down.'

'Oh?'

'Mmhmm,' Jaune said slowly. 'It's all… I just… I just want to retire and leave it all behind me… I… I think… I think I've seen enough for one lifetime.'

'I see…' Weiss murmured.

'And?' Jaune swivelled back towards her. 'What about you? What's next for the extraordinary Weiss Schnee?'

'Well,' Weiss began. 'I've talked with Winter, and she has no interest in the company. So, until I find a successor, I'll still be running the day-to-day operations.'

'Yowza,' Jaune grimaced. 'That sounds painful.'

'It's not so bad,' Weiss smiled softly. 'I'm used to it now. But,' she added. 'I am taking the next year off.'

'Oh?'

'Uh huh,' Weiss said. 'I've also been talking with Blake. Since she's only been writing novels these days, she offered to run the company for a while. She said that "it's my turn now".' Weiss stretched in her seat. 'I'm okay with it, really. She's worked with me the longest, and knows how the company functions. Everyone there either likes her or is scared of her, so it shouldn't be a problem.' A laugh. 'Me? I'm just looking forward to relaxing for a while. Explore the world, even.'

Jaune laughed as well. 'Well, if anything, you've earned it.'

'Yeah,' Weiss said. 'I think I have.'

'I'm guessing Yang will be following Blake, then.'

'Probably. Being a bartender must be boring her to death.'

'Well,' Jaune grinned. 'I hope you have a wonderful vacation.'

'Thanks,' Weiss smiled back.

The two of them looked back onto the dancefloor. Blake had somehow been roped into the sisters' shenaniganery, and the three of them were bobbing and weaving through and between everyone.

'You know,' Jaune started again. 'This night could have very easily have been about us.'

'Yeah,' Weiss said softly. 'It could have.'

He gave her a wry grin. 'But you didn't open the door.'

'No,' Weiss said, melancholic. 'No, I didn't.'

'You never told me why.'

Weiss spared him a humorous glance. 'I think you of all people should know the answer to that.'

'Yeah,' Jaune admitted sheepishly. 'I guess I do. But I'd like to think that maybe we would have been betrothed in a different life.'

'Yeah,' Weiss snorted. 'And maybe I'd end up being a magical girl or something.'

Jaune's eye twitched. 'Age has changed you, my dear Schnee.'

'Shut up,' she snapped good-naturedly. 'Give me a break. I'm going on vacation, remember?'

It is indeed as the world says: the more things change, the more they stay the same. It is an undeniable truth. A hard truth perhaps, but a truth nonetheless.

'It's been a while,' Jaune said, struggling for words. 'Since… you know, we've just sat down and talked.'

'I've been busy,' Weiss said evasively.

Jaune raised his eyebrow. 'Really?' he asked. '_That's_ what you're going with?'

'I know, I know,' Weiss sighed. 'It's just…'

'Yeah,' he said quietly. 'I know.'

Silence.

'We're… not the same as we once were,' she murmured sadly. 'I know you wanted to go back. And I did too… But even now, after all this time, it's… hard.' She laughed bitterly. 'We still can't even go back to just being really good friends.'

'Yeah well,' Jaune said lightly, shoving her on the shoulder. 'Who says we need to go from there? Hell, we can start from the beginning.' A grin broke onto his face. 'I heard you liked having "kinda friends".'

Weiss laughed. 'Well, if we're back to "kinda friends", then need I remind you of my two feet policy?' she asked.

'You had a policy?

'Yes.'

'Doesn't ring a bell.'

'Oh really?

'Yeah really.'

'You know, I may be out of practice, but I'm pretty sure I can still beat you up.'

'Yeah, you probably could…'

'Precisely.'

Laughter.

'We'll be okay, Weiss,' Jaune said comfortingly as the laughter died down. 'Just take a look around you. We'll be okay.'

Heeding his words, Weiss looked around. She saw Ren being pitifully dragged around by the hurricane that was Nora. She saw Sun and Neptune by the bar, each man attempting to woo the bartender. She saw Pyrrha and her husband glide through the room, content and happy with life. She saw the rest of her team embracing in the middle of the dancefloor, their laughter rippling through the hall.

Yes. Things would be okay.

'We'll be okay,' Jaune repeated, breaking her out of her reverie.

'Yeah,' she agreed softly. 'Yeah, we will be.'

'Good,' Jaune said. He drained the rest of his glass. 'Now then, how about a dance?'

'Dance?' Weiss repeated.

Jaune shrugged. 'Sure,' he said. 'I mean I'm old, but I'm not _that_ old yet.'

'I don't know…' Weiss said uneasily. 'Do you think it's okay?'

'I don't see why not,' Jaune teased. 'Don't over think it.'

So maybe the fairy-tale ending that existed in their minds never happened. Maybe they didn't love hard enough or long enough for things to work out. Maybe fate had a different story to tell. The possibilities of why they didn't or couldn't work were endless.

But maybe at the end of it all, why they didn't or couldn't work didn't matter.

Maybe there is still hope. Not for a romance, but for a friendship. Maybe they will come to a new equilibrium. A new understanding, perhaps. After all, fate tells different stories. And it has been said: who knows what the future holds?

Maybe, just maybe, things between them will eventually be okay again.

And maybe they'll get there some day.

_Inch_ by _inch_.

Rising from his chair and dusting himself off, he offered his hand to her.

'Come on,' Jaune said with a smile. 'We still have time for another go.'

* * *

_Millimetre Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _And there you have it. I feel the need to iterate that I began working with GEP __**after**_ _Betrothed._

_GEP and I share a common philosophy when it comes to ships. "The best ones are the ones that suffer". Jaune and Weiss getting their happy ending is one thing, but it's very cut and dry. I'm not a fan of that. I like the intrigue._

_A couple of months back, I told GEP about what I had planned - them getting together at the end. We both agreed that it wasn't the best plan of action. So I came up with Pyrrha coming back and Arkos reigning supreme. But then, as I got closer to the reveal, I felt that would cheapen her character. So then, I turned to Ruby._

_But why Ruby? It is in my opinion that Hollywood and writers write three kinds of romances. Three "types" if you will. There's the one who got away (Pyrrha), the one who lives in the moment (Weiss), and the one who waited (Ruby). So, I thought "fuck it, I'll use them all". Granted, perhaps Ruby's role could have been bigger, but I'm satisfied with how it turned out._

_The best romances are the ones that are subtle and hit you out of nowhere, but still __**make sense**__. You don't need to know the specifics of how Jaune and Ruby got together. You just need to know that they did. The rest, as I've said before, is in the other chapters. You need only look. As I've said, if you were perceptive enough, you'd have known how this would have ended. Not necessarily with Ruby being endgame, but with White Knight not working out._

_But yes. This is the end. I've enjoyed myself considerably for my first fanfiction. Who knows, maybe I'll spring up again. But for now, I think I'll enjoy going back to the background and being GEP's editor. University's coming back for me soon, so I'll be busy soon enough. Guys, I just want to say it's been a blast. You were all very nice, which is strange considering that this is the internet._

_And now for some throwaway trivia on how my process works._

_\- I had no actual story plans until chapter 4._

_\- This was supposed to be only 10 chapters long. I then discovered more metric units._

_\- I was sticking with the Pyrrha end story until about chapter 10 or so. Then I changed to Ruby._

_\- Going from that, chapter 12 was a little flimsy because it was going to be a chapter on Pyrrha's confession._

_\- I had no plans to write anyone else apart from Jaune, Pyrrha, Blake, Neptune and Weiss (barring chapter 3). It was because I feared getting the characters of Ruby and Yang completely wrong. I didn't even bother touching Nora. She's untouchable._

_\- Pyrrha was supposed to be the best man in this chapter. But, I felt it more fitting, from a meta and homage standpoint, for it to be Ren, with Neptune as an accompanying groomsman._

_\- I had a chapter planned for Jaune to show weakness in his early 30's, talking with Ren about the futility of war, and wanting to go back home to Weiss. Not enough space, unfortunately._

_\- I also had a chapter about Weiss finding out that Jaune was a fraud. It didn't work out properly._

_\- There was also a chapter about Weiss hanging out with Jaune in their 3rd year on ball night. Neptune had bailed because he had gotten sick, and Weiss had grown a bit tired of the ball thing. So, the two of them just casually played video games for a few hours before Weiss went to check on Neptune._

_\- Jaune leaving was supposed to be a bit more dramatic, with Weiss not wanting to settle down and to have kids, while that's what Jaune wanted. So he disappears the next day. I decided against that, and instead went down another path._

_\- Jaune and Weiss rarely show extreme intimacy like kissing or spamming "I love you". This is more of a personal gripe. A lot of television and fiction, especially YA, tend to trivialise these acts, in effect making them weak when used in furious repetition. When I want to show intimacy, I want it to mean something, not just because I want to check a box. Otherwise it just feels forced, and dare I say "corny". That's why __**Centimetre**_ _was my favourite chapter to write while __**Yard**_ _was my least._

_\- Have Jaune and Weiss had sex? Maybe. I left that up to interpretation. Again, not my thing when it comes to writing._

_And there you have it. Thank you all very much for accommodating me for these past few months, and sorry that I enjoy writing essays in my A/N's. Also, a __**big**__ thank you to GEP for coming up with __**Date Auction**__, or else this would have never existed in the first place._

_Will I write something else? We'll see. What I will say though, is that I have some plans for "specials" for this series. As for whether or not I'll go through with them, I guess you'll find out._

_Thank you all again. Remember to keep it real._

_\- Narutochaos22_

**_P.S._** _In case you were wondering, the title at the beginning shows the chronological order of chapters._


	17. Side Story: Red Demon

**Summary:** _For most of her life, Blake Belladonna was alone._

**Author's Notes:** _Here's one of the specials I was talking about. For r/rwby's Bumblebee Friday._

**Side Story: Red Demon**

**RWBY**

* * *

For most of her life, Blake Belladonna was alone.

She never knew her parents. She only knew their stories.

Alone. Afraid. It made sense that she'd end up joining the White Fang.

And then suddenly Blake Belladonna wasn't alone anymore.

She had the symbol. She had the ambition. She even had the red demon.

She embraced it. She thrived in it. She revelled in it.

Until she woke up. Looked in the mirror. Saw a monster look back.

It disgusted her.

Suddenly, she didn't have the symbol. Suddenly, she didn't have the ambition. Suddenly, she didn't even have the red demon.

She had nothing.

And she realised just how alone she really was.

For most of her life, Blake Belladonna was alone.

* * *

'So Blake,' Yang started. 'Can I call you Blakey?'

'No,' Blake murmured, flicking over the page.

'Alright then, Blakey.'

Blake's eye twitched. 'Please don't.'

'Do you do anything else apart from read, Blakey?'

'Yes.'

'Like what, Blakey?'

'Could you guys like, oh I don't know, _not_ have this conversation this late at night?' Weiss hissed from her sleeping bag.

* * *

'Blakey!'

'Stop calling me that.'

'So, it turns out that Professor Port actually set us homework-'

'No.'

'And uh, _silly me_, I lost the hand-out and-'

'No.'

'I _really_ don't want to get detention so-'

'No.'

'Come on, _please_?'

'… Fine.'

* * *

'So…' Yang said slowly, flopping on Blake's bed. 'You're a cat Faunus.'

'Yes.'

'Wow,' Yang murmured. 'It seems so… obvious, now that I think about it.'

'Well, some people are just more perceptive than others,' Blake said wryly.

'Yeah… say.' Yang leaned in earnestly. 'Have you been scratched behind the ears before?'

Blake's eyes narrowed. 'No.'

'Can I-?'

'No.'

Yang pouted. 'Oh come _on_, Blakey-'

'Stop calling me that.'

'It might be fun!'

'For you, maybe.'

'And it might be for _you_ too! Come on!'

Yang, no. I'd rather you no-!'

* * *

'So Blakey, did you have a good summer?' Yang asked, looping her arm with Blake's.

'It was alright,' Blake said, smiling softly. 'Yours?'

'It was pretty good,' Yang said easily. 'Dad was busy, so Ruby and I went camping for a few weeks. Then we just lazed around the house after that.'

'Sounds nice,' Blake murmured.

'Yeah, well.' Yang squeezed her arm tighter. 'It just didn't feel right without you and the Ice Queen. I missed ya, you know?'

Blake laughed quietly. 'I missed you too.'

* * *

'I'm sorry,' Blake said reproachfully.

'Nah,' Sun laughed, scratching his head. 'Don't be. You'll just make me feel worse.'

'You'll… find someone eventually,' Blake said quietly. 'I know you will, Sun.'

'Yeah, maybe,' Sun grinned. 'Though, can I ask why you said no?'

Blake sighed. 'I'm just not looking for anyone right now,' she said.

'Ah.' Sun nodded. 'Well, when you do, keep me in mind, okay?' he teased, punching her on the shoulder.

Blake laughed. 'Okay.'

* * *

'Yang…'

'Blakey…'

'_Yang…_'

'_Blakey…_'

Blake sighed. 'There's no getting around this, is there?'

'Nope,' Yang sang. 'You're coming with me to the bar, and there ain't nothing you can do about it!'

Blake rolled her eyes. 'Whatever,' she muttered. 'Hurry up then, it's getting cold.' Walking on further, she realised that her blonde companion had yet to retort. 'Yang?' she turned back to see Yang frozen in the spot. 'Yang?' she repeated, walking towards her. 'What's-?'

'Shh!'

'Huh?' Blake cocked her head.

Yang raised her hand to point at something in the distance. 'Look!' she whispered.

Blake's eyes followed the direction in which she was pointing. 'I don't see…' Her eyes widened. 'Oh.'

Atop a bench sat a blonde-haired boy and a white-haired girl. The blonde-haired boy's head was tucked into the white-haired girl's shoulder, while the white-haired girl's head rested on top of the blonde-haired boy's.

A small smile graced Blake's lips. 'Well would you look at that,' she murmured.

_Flash._

She darted her head towards the sound. 'Yang,' she deadpanned.

'What?' Yang grinned, holding up her scroll. 'It's for blackmail purposes!'

* * *

'Man, remember the episode when The Corpirate attacked?'

'Yeah, that was so cool!'

'I know right?'

'Uh huh! I can't wait for the show to catch up to the comic!'

'_Right?_'

'Anyone know what they're talking about?' Weiss asked absentmindedly. Her eyes were glued to the screen as she tapped furiously on her scroll.

'Nope.' Blake.

'Nada.' Yang.

'Good, so I'm not going crazy,' Weiss said as her avatar dove for cover.

'Well, I guess it'd depend on what you mean by crazy,' Yang teased. 'I mean- _dammit Blakey stop stealing my kills_!'

'Then stop making it so easy.'

* * *

'Hey Blakey, whatcha reading?'

'Stuff.'

'What kinda stuff?'

'Just stuff.'

'_Lewd_ stuff?'

'No.'

'It totally is…'

'No. It's no- _hey_!'

'Oh wow, this is way worse than lewd…'

'Give it _back_, Yang!'

* * *

'How long?'

'A… while, I guess?'

'How long's a while?'

'U-uh…' Ruby looked around uneasily. 'Since our second year?'

'Ooooooooh!' Yang squealed. 'My baby sister's got a crush!'

'She's grown up so fast,' Blake murmured, reaching over to ruffle Ruby's hair.

'Don't tell Weiss!' Ruby said in a small voice.

'Why not?' Yang asked, her eyes gleaming with mirth.

'Because… he's her best friend and… she's mine and… it's kind of weird, okay?' Ruby groaned into Blake's pillow.

'Oh I'm sure she wouldn't mind…'

'Yang,' Blake interjected.

'What?'

Blake gave the blonde a look.

'Okay fine,' Yang sighed, falling back into Blake's bed. 'My lips are sealed. Rubes, I solemnly swear that we-'

'Don't group me together with you,' Blake sighed.

'-won't tell Weiss.'

'Won't tell Weiss what?'

All three heads swung towards the opening door, revealing the heiress' frame.

'O-oh, uh…' Yang stammered.

'Yes?' Weiss crossed her arms.

Blake and Ruby looked at each other, then back to Weiss.

'Yang farted on your pillow,' they said in unison.

'Wha-?! Hey! I so did not do- _Weiss,_ _please __put the sword down._'

* * *

'Yang!' Blake called out.

Yang stopped walking and turned. 'Oh,' she said stiffly. A grin plastered itself on her face. 'Blake, hey!'

Blake's stomach plummeted. 'Look,' she tried. 'About yesterday, at the museum…'

'Oh yeah, that was embarrassing,' Yang said, scratching the back of her head. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to put you on the spot like that.'

'About that,' Blake said softly. 'Yang, I-'

'Don't worry about it,' Yang interrupted. There was an underlying hardness in her tone. 'You made it clear that you weren't interested.'

'That's…' Blake shook her head. 'That's not it, Yang. Just let me-'

'Please stop.'

Blake's voice caught in her throat.

'Look,' Yang sighed. 'I just misread the situation. I should have thought things through. I mean, it's just… who knows?' She shook her head. 'Maybe I should have asked if you were… in the same boat as I was.' She gave Blake a hopeful smile. 'I just hope I didn't ruin our friendship, you know?'

'You… didn't, Yang,' Blake said quietly. 'And it's not because of that, Yang. I'm flattered, it's just that I-'

'Just give me some time, Blake,' Yang said, resting her hands on Blake's shoulders. 'I'll be back to normal in a few days, okay?'

'… Okay.'

'Okay,' Yang smiled. 'I'll see you in class!' she shouted as she ran towards the training facility.

As silence reigned, Blake Belladonna was left alone.

And the red demon laughed.

* * *

'I find us to be in an interesting conundrum.'

Blake looked away from Yang and Ruby swinging through the dancefloor. 'What do you mean?' she asked.

Pyrrha smiled. 'Our situations' she said simply, nodding towards the heiress waltzing with the knight. 'Or rather, where fate has placed us.' A laugh. 'The three of us are so similar, and yet so different.'

'I don't follow,' Blake said.

Pyrrha gave her a knowing smile. 'You will one day.'

* * *

'Going drinking again?'

Yang looked up. 'Yeah,' she said. 'There's nothing on the notice board this week, so I'm gonna go to the bar with Neptune. Wanna come?'

Blake shook her head. 'I'm fine,' she said quietly.

'Alrighty then,' Yang beamed. 'I'll be back before midnight.'

'Yang…'

'Yep?'

'How…' Blake struggled for words. 'Are you and Neptune…?'

'Oh god no.' Yang made a face. 'Guy's not my type. Makes a hell of a drinking buddy, though.' A teasing smile formed. 'Why? You _jealous_?'

Blake's eyes widened. 'Wha-? No! Of course I-'

Yang laughed. 'Blake, I kid,' she said, gently punching her on the shoulder. 'I know you wouldn't be.'

* * *

'You sure about this?'

Blake nodded. 'Weiss and I made a promise.'

'Well, if you're sure…' Yang trailed off.

'And what of you?' Blake asked as they continued to walk down the road. 'You going to stay with Ruby?'

'For another term, yeah,' Yang said, nodding. 'Then… I guess I'll come work with you guys.'

Blake's brow furrowed. 'Why?'

'Why what?'

'Why with us?' _Why with me?_

Yang shrugged. 'Being with you is fun, Blake,' she said honestly. 'I can't see myself having fun anywhere else without you, you know?'

Blake felt her heartbeat quicken.

The red demon growled.

'And besides,' Yang added quickly. 'I'll be working with both you and the Ice Queen, so it'd kinda be like Beacon all over again!'

'Well,' Blake coughed. 'I guess it'd depend if _I_ give Weiss the "okay" to hire you.'

'And of course you will!' Yang said brightly. 'Right?'

Blake said nothing.

'Blake?' Yang stopped walking.

'We'll see.' Blake continued to walk onward.

'_Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaake?!_'

* * *

'Sun?'

The monkey Faunus turned his head slightly.

'You're worried about Vacuo, aren't you?' Blake asked, coming up beside him.

'Kinda, yeah,' Sun murmured, looking up at the moon. 'I mean, I know I can do more good here by stopping this whole White Fang thing, but… it's my _home_, you know?'

'I know,' Blake said quietly. 'I'd feel the exact same way as you in your shoes.'

'Well, speaking of feelings,' Sun said slowly. He gave her a friendly nudge. 'You still not looking for someone?'

A flash of yellow ran through her mind. 'No, I'm not.'

'Well then,' Sun laughed. 'If we both end up being forty-years-old and single, my offer still stands.'

Blake smirked. 'I'll hold you to that.'

* * *

'Here.'

A glass of beer was thrust in Blake's face.

'Done with your work?'

'Yep.' Yang sat on Blake's desk, a glass too in her hand. 'I got a bottle of good stuff from the Ice Queen. Been meaning to relax a bit, so…' She indicated towards the glass on the desk. 'Drink with me.'

'Yang, you know I'm not a drinker.'

'Blake,' Yang sighed. 'Listen to me. A job like this is going to make you scratch your way up the wall - no pun intended,' she added hastily, seeing the Faunus' glare. 'You just gotta find a way to deal with the stress, you know? A drink can do that.'

Blake sighed. 'Fine,' she said, raising her glass. 'But only once in a while, deal?'

'Deal,' Yang winked. 'Cheers.'

* * *

'I used to think that we were similar.'

'Hm?' Blake looked down at the heiress. They were at the park. Weiss was sitting on a bench with her eyes closed. 'What made you think that in the first place?' Blake asked.

'Because of where we came from,' Weiss murmured, her eyes still closed. 'Because of all the stuff that'd happened to us before and during Beacon. When I found out what you were, and learned more about you… I thought that we were similar.'

Blake laughed quietly. 'And we're not?' she asked humorously.

'No,' Weiss smiled. 'We're not.'

Curiosity. 'How did you come to this conclusion?'

Weiss opened her eyes. 'You and I were always both alone,' she said. 'But the difference is that I'm always_ left_ alone.' A bitter laugh. 'But you _chose_ to be alone.'

Blake said nothing.

The red demon reared its head.

'But you know,' Weiss said, closing her eyes again. 'Being alone isn't all it's cracked up to be.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah,' she said quietly. 'It hurts when you're left alone. The people who abandon you leave their mark in your heart, and you can't shake it. But, that said… I am… _happy_ for all the times that I wasn't alone. Because I at least have the memories of _not_ being lonely.' A smile. 'I didn't used to think like that, but I do now.'

Blake gave a small smile. 'Some would call that being a masochist.'

'Well, that's the thing, Blake.' Weiss opened her eyes to look at her bodyguard, a wry smile on her lips. 'Deep down we're all masochists.'

* * *

'Ugh…'

'You sound wonderful,' Blake said, amused.

'Too loud, too bright,' Yang groaned. 'How much did I drink?'

'Well,' Blake started. 'Let's just say you took full advantage of the days off that Weiss gave us.'

Yang blearily opened an eye. 'How come you're all fine and dandy?' she croaked out.

Blake shrugged. 'Perks of being a Faunus, I guess,' she offered.

'Stupid genetics,' Yang muttered, crawling onto the couch. '_Ergh_, I feel terrible.'

Blake rolled her eyes. 'You'll happily take on a horde of Grimm, but one headache later and you're down for the count,' she said dryly, holding out a glass of water. 'Here.'

'Blake, you are my lord and saviour,' Yang gasped, gulping the liquid down gratefully.

'Always one for the melodramatics,' Blake murmured.

The two stayed in silence, taking in the dawn of the new day.

'So…' Yang began. 'Did I do anything uh, _awkward_, while I was out of it?'

'Awkward?' Blake blinked. 'Awkward how?'

'Y-you know,' Yang mumbled. 'Awkward stuff.'

'You can be more awkward than you already _are_?'

'_Blaaaaake_,' Yang groaned.

'Relax,' Blake laughed quietly. 'You didn't do anything… ludicrous.'

'Good, good,' Yang said, closing her eyes once more. 'That's good.'

Silence.

'… You did call me Blakey, though.'

Lilac orbs opened to meet gold. 'Oh?'

'Yeah,' Blake said quietly.

The red demon remained silent.

'Huh,' Yang said contemplatively. 'I haven't called you that in a _looooong_ time.'

'Ten years,' Blake said even more quietly.

'Yeah,' Yang said, stretching out on the couch. 'Roundabout, anyway.'

More silence.

'Yang?'

'Mm?'

Blake suddenly found the ground very interesting.

'Please don't stop calling me Blakey.'

* * *

'You've been hanging around Sun a lot lately.'

Blake looked up from her guarded station. 'He's my subordinate,' she said. 'I have to see him regularly to keep him updated.'

'You see him more than me,' Yang pouted from her station. 'It's favouritism. Favouritism I tell you!'

Blake rolled her eyes. 'Stop being such a child, Yang.'

'I'm just telling it like it is, Blakey,' Yang sniffed.

Blake sighed. 'Honestly…' She hesitated. 'If it makes you feel better, I'm… in a different boat.'

Yang blinked. 'Different boat?'

'Yes.'

'What's that supposed to mean?'

Blake gave her a look.

'… Oh.'

* * *

_Cool. Calm. Collected. Cool. Calm. Collected._

Back at their apartment, Blake Belladonna recited these words like a mantra.

They had visited a White Fang camp today. It was the meeting place both parties had agreed on.

Blake Belladonna had forgotten what is was like.

Blake Belladonna saw brainwashed children, hissing at them as they passed by. Blake Belladonna saw human beings, gaunt and haggard, trapped in cages by their White Fang oppressors.

It all came rushing back. The things they did. The things Blake Belladonna did.

All in the name of sending a _message_.

They were in the meeting room. White Fang assassins at every corner. Schnee bodyguards in every crevice.

And then he showed up.

The red demon himself.

He and Weiss sat down, and the talks began.

Seconds became minutes. Minutes became hours. To be honest, not even Blake Belladonna knew how long the meeting lasted.

Finally the talks stopped. Weiss and the red demon stood up, shook hands and went their separate ways.

But not before the red demon looked over at Blake Belladonna.

'Good to see you,' he said, before walking out the door.

_Cool. Calm. Collected. Cool. Calm. Collected._

'Blakey?'

Blake Belladonna realised that Blake Belladonna was shaking.

Worried lilac appeared in Blake Belladonna's vision.

'Blakey?' Yang repeated. 'You okay?'

_Cool. Calm. Collected. Cool. Calm. Collected._

'Blakey,' Yang pressed. 'What's wrong?'

Blake Belladonna was _cool_. Blake Belladonna was _calm_. Blake Belladonna was _collected_.

Blake Belladonna was _all_ of these things.

The red demon roared.

'… I'm tired of being alone, Yang.'

* * *

'You got my message.'

'Yes.'

'I… see what you mean now.'

Pyrrha smiled. 'You do?'

'I may have had some help,' Blake admitted.

'That's good,' Pyrrha laughed, her eyes twinkling. She jerked her head towards the hotel entrance. 'Now maybe you can help him.'

* * *

'Can't sleep?'

Blake shook her head.

Strong arms encircled her waist.

'Care to share?' Yang breathed.

'We're…' Blake paused. 'We're almost there… aren't we?'

'Yeah,' Yang murmured, reaching up to scratch one of her ears. 'Almost.'

Blake laughed, closing her eyes. 'I can't believe this is happening.'

'Well, it is, so you better,' Yang smiled softly. 'Now get back to bed. I need something to cuddle.'

* * *

'I hope you can forgive me one day.'

Blake didn't break focus from the president of the Schnee Dust Company's speech.

'I suppose we'll find out in the afterlife,' she said quietly.

A pause. 'You've changed,' the red demon noted.

Blake looked him square in the eye. 'I have.'

* * *

'So, we just got fired.'

'We were let go.'

'Po-tay-to, po-tah-to. We got fired. Plain and simple.'

The two of them slowly walked towards their apartment, arm in arm.

Blake sighed. 'Weiss doesn't need us anymore.'

'Yeah, I know,' Yang grunted. 'Still sucks that she fired us, though.'

Blake rolled her eyes. 'You're being a pain.'

'Yeah, well,' Yang gripped her arm tighter. 'You put up with me anyway.'

The continued to walk in silence.

'So,' Yang started. 'What comes now?'

'What do you mean?'

'I mean, what do we do now?'

'Hmm,' Blake thought out loud. 'Well… I suppose we could get married.'

'Yeah,' Yang agreed. 'I suppose we could.'

The two carried on walking.

Suddenly Blake was jerked back.

'Wha-?' She turned to look at her companion. 'What was that for?'

Yang was deathly white and rigid. 'D-did you just…?'

Blake tilted her head. 'Did I just what?

'S-say we should get married?' Yang quavered.

'I…' Blake paused. 'Yes. Yes I did.'

Yang's eyes bulged.

'Yang?' Blake grew worried. 'Are you okay?'

Silence.

And then.

'… I call dibs on the dress.'

Blake blinked. '… What?'

Yang nodded robotically. 'I will gladly take your last name. Yang Belladonna has a nice ring to it, but _I_ am the _one_ wearing the _dress_ down the _aisle_.'

'Taking my last name isn't necessary…'

'But _me_ wearing the dress _is_!'

'I…' Blake's ears flattened. 'I kinda wanted to wear the dress…'

'And so you'll take my childhood dream away from me?' Yang scoffed. 'Sorry Blakey, love ya and all, but I ain't changing my stance on this.'

'… We could both wear a dress?' Blake offered.

'Please, I've seen you naked. We both know that you'll completely outclass me.' Yang leapt back. Her finger was pointed at Blake in an accusatory manner. 'Nuh uh. No way. You are _so_ totally_ not_ taking my moment away from me, li'l miss Bellabooty!'

'_Bellabooty?_'

* * *

_Side Story: Red Demon Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _There you have it. Happy Bumblebee Friday and whatnot. This is my first time writing about a same-sex relationship, so I hope I did okay. I have one more special lined up before I retire this fic for good, so be sure to look out for that._

_This is a parallel fic that takes place at the same time in Inch's timeline. If anything, this is just an extremely condensed version of it. White Knight and Bumblebee are my OTP's, you see. Oh, and I decided not to mention Jaune by name/barely at all because the bitch got 16 chapters to himself already. Ain't nobody need more of him._

_I tried to make the timeline as clear as possible. You might need to go back to Inch's chronology to get more specific "ages". I didn't really want to do the whole "at eighteen, yadayadayada". You got enough of that from the main story, so you most definitely don't need this from a side story._

_I picture Blake to not be the kind of person to want to jump into a relationship right away. It's implied that she was a devote follower of the White Fang, and that she felt betrayed once she saw their new/true colours. Adam (or the red demon, as I put it here) is also a pushing factor here, as he causes the breaking point for her – making her leave for good. I wanted to tell a story in which Blake would eventually soften up enough to want something remotely romantic. Considering that in this universe, Jaune settles down at 40, it's not too much of a stretch to believe that Blake will find happiness in her 30's._

_Two more things. My head canon is that eventually Blake will act as more of the nurturing older sister to Ruby (she sees her younger self in Ruby) while Yang takes a step back and lets Ruby grow. Secondly, in the canon, eclipse is soft lock at this point. In the event that they don't work out, in my head canon, Blake and Sun have a pact that if they don't find someone, they'll hook up when they're forty. It's kind of reminiscent of the Robin/Ted promise from HIMYM._

_I'll also sporadically appear on GEP's account to write a one-shot or something, so be sure to look out for that. The icon for my fictions are different to GEP's standard penguin, so you'll know if it's one of mine._

_Seeya. Keep it real._

_\- Narutochaos22_


	18. Side Story: Doorstep

**Summary:** _Weiss remembers._

**Side Story: Doorstep**

**RWBY**

* * *

'_Pyrrha? What are you doing here?'_

'_I… wanted to see you before the dance.'_

'_Is this about-?'_

'_Yes.'_

'_Pyrrha, if you're not comf-'_

'_No, no. It's not that. I don't want to be the one to rain on your parade. Sorry, I just… really need to say this.'_

'… _Okay.'_

'_He's a good guy, Weiss. He's grown a lot since our first year, but he's still a bit of an airhead from time to time… but he's a good guy.'_

'_I know he is.'_

'_And I just want you to know that if you take good care of him… then he'll take good care of you. Just… remember that.'_

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Weiss rapped on the door. 'Father,' she said stiffly. 'Father, I know you're in there.'

There was no response.

'Father,' Weiss tried again. 'Father, I know that you are… unhappy with my decision to become a huntress. But I hope that you can at least respect that I'm trying to pave my own way in this world.'

Again, no response.

'But, you know what, Father?' Weiss closed her eyes. 'You are many things, but "perfect" is not one of them. That is where _we_ will be different. Because, unlike Winter, I _will_ escape your shadow. I will do what you never could, and _achieve_ perfection.' She opened her eyes. 'Mark my words today, Father,' she said coldly.

'I will surpass you.'

* * *

'Stop treating me like a kid!'

'Stop _acting_ like a kid!'

'Well _stop_ acting like you're perfect!'

_You're not. You never will be. Accept it. You're inferior. You always will be._

'I'm _not_ perfect!'

_That's right. You're not. You never will be. Accept it. You're inferior. You always will be._

'Not yet,' Weiss hissed. 'But I'm still leagues better than you.'

* * *

'_**So instead of fretting about what you don't have, savour what you do.'**_

'Ruby, I think you have what it takes to be a good leader.'

'H-huh?' The fifteen-year-old girl reared back in her bed, shocked by what Weiss had said.

'_**And be not the best leader, but the best person you can be.'**_

Weiss gave her a small smile. 'Just know that I am going to be the best teammate you will ever have.'

* * *

'H-hey!'

'Hello to you too… so, why're you calling?'

'I…' Weiss froze. The scroll remained glued to her ear as her mind went blank.

'Weiss?' Neptune asked over the line. 'You good?'

'Y-yeah,' Weiss said. 'Just… just um…'

'_**Anyone would be lucky to be with you.'**_

'Are you… free to come over to Vale… this weekend?'

* * *

'Let's break up.'

_Why? What's your reasoning? Am I not good enough? Are you not satisfied by me? Is there something wrong? Wrong with me? If so, I can change! Are you going to leave me alone? Please don't. Why now? Why? Please, just tell me why?!_

'Okay.'

* * *

'Yang, help me with these bags?'

'Sure! No problem.'

'We're graduating, we're graduating!'

_Was this room always so empty? _A strange feeling welled in Weiss' chest as she gazed around the empty room. The beds no longer hung as bunks. They were on their side and against the wall, leaving the floor to be quite spacious.

It felt so… lonely.

'Okay, our bags are on the trolley. You guys ready to go?'

'Come on, I don't wanna be late!'

'I…' Weiss hesitated.

'Give us a moment,' Blake interrupted. 'We'll be down in a second.'

'Well, don't take too long, okay?'

'Yeah, Team RWBY gotta represent!'

'Will do,' Blake said as the sisters bolted out the door, striding over to close the door behind them. She then turned to the other person in the room. 'Feeling sentimental?' she asked.

Weiss took another glance around the room. 'Yeah,' she said. 'Just a little.'

* * *

'You going to be okay?'

'Ruby, you don't have to worry.'

'But I _should_ be worried,' Ruby said. Turning away from Weiss, she poked the knight in the stomach. 'Keep your hands above the waist, ya hear me, "Tubby"?'

'Tubby?'

'We'll be okay, Ruby,' Weiss said with a soft smile. 'Tell Pyrrha we both say hi.'

* * *

'You all set to go?'

'_Weiiiiiis_,' Ruby sighed as she plopped on her bed. 'I'm not a kid anymore, you know?'

'Of course I know that, you dolt,' Weiss said. 'It's just going to be weird, not seeing you for a couple of years.'

'Well, Yang promised to visit from time to time if she's allowed.' Ruby sat up. 'She _is_ allowed to… right?'

Weiss shrugged. 'It's up to Blake. I just pay them.'

'Oh!' Ruby's eyes shone. 'Then it shouldn't be a problem, then!'

'Not a kid, huh?' Weiss' smile faded. 'Listen, when you're over there, can you… um…?'

'Not another word,' Ruby said, pulling her into a hug. 'Don't worry, I'll look out for him.'

* * *

_I am alright. I am fine. I am okay._

'So he just leaves in the middle of the night?'

'It would appear so.'

'That stupid freaking…'

_I am alright. I am fine. I am okay._

'There's no point in getting angry now.'

'Oh what? So you're _defending_ him?'

'I'm saying that I can see why he did it.'

_I am alright. I am fi-_

'_**I'll be here in the morning.'**_

'Well, _look_ at what that did to her!'

'Yang, calm down.'

'I can't, Blake! She hasn't moved all morning and-!'

_-alright. I am fine. I am-_

'_**I promise.'**_

Weiss sat up. Lilac and golden orbs alike turned to face her. Raising her arm, she scrubbed her face with her sleeve, getting rid of dry tear trails.

'Weiss.' Blake reacted first. Kneeling by her bedside, she leaned in closer. 'Are you-?'

'I'm alright,' Weiss said, managing a small smile. She turned her head towards Yang. 'I'm fine.' Shifting the covers off her legs, she slowly struggled to her feet.

'I'm okay.'

* * *

'What's wrong?' she asked over the line, scanning through today's report.

'It's…' Ruby hesitated. 'He almost died today.'

Weiss froze. 'What do you mean?'

'We were fighting a horde of Goliath. His squad was getting overwhelmed, and mine was barely hanging on. One of his men managed to push him out of the way, but…'

'But what?'

'… We were able to recover the body.'

Silence.

'… How's he taking it?'

'Ren's with him now. He's been having episodes of hysteria. He's also been… calling for you.'

'_**I really wish you'd give me more credit.'**_

'I…' Weiss looked at all of the paperwork on her desk. In her mind she was cycling through all the meetings and events she had to attend. 'I don't know if I can-'

'I'm not pressuring you to,' Ruby said quickly. 'He's getting calmer. He'll be fine in a few days.'

'Are you sure? I mean I could try-'

'Weiss, we both know that he wouldn't forgive you if you did.'

'_**Don't worry about me.'**_

'… You're right. He wouldn't.'

'He'll be okay, Weiss. Don't worry, I'll keep my promise.'

* * *

'I'm impressed.' Her father's voice echoed throughout his office.

'Thank you,' she replied curtly.

'However, despite your accomplishments, you have yet to achieve the "perfection" you spoke of all those years ago.'

'_**I will do what you never could, and achieve perfection.'**_

'That's…' Weiss looked out the window. 'I've stopped trying.'

'So you admit that you've failed?'

'I'm saying that it's overrated, Father.' Weiss turned back and looked him square in the eye. 'The only mistake I made was thinking achieving perfection would free me from your shadow. Because then I'd have done the one thing you've never been able to do. But that was a mistake on my part. Rather, I should have done the other thing you couldn't do, and just let it go. By walking away, I have escaped you.'

'_**I will escape your shadow.'**_

'I cannot give my position to someone who makes excuses. To me, all that you have said has sounded like a big excuse.'

'Perhaps it is an excuse. Or maybe it's just because you can't see the bigger picture because you're still holding on to that _flimsy idealisation of perfection_. Look at all that I've done in thirteen years that you couldn't do in your _entire life_.' Weiss approached her father's desk. 'I have accomplished everything you said was _impossible_ to do. I've righted all of the wrongs you said were _necessary_ to commit. I have changed all that you had deemed _unchangeable_.'

'_**I will surpass you.'**_

'I have surpassed you, Father.'

* * *

'_Weiss? You're early!'_

'_Sorry. I… I wanted to talk to you before the others got here.'_

'_What's wrong? Does this have to do with-?'_

'_Yeah… it does.'_

'_It's not… awkward for you is it? It's okay if you don't wanna do it. We still have enough time to change it to someone-'_

'_No, it's not that. I still want to be your Maid of Honour. I just… I just need to… can you just listen to what I have to say?'_

'… _Okay. I will.'_

'_He's a… really good guy, Ruby. He made me realise things about myself that have helped me to get where I am. Sure he was a bit of a pain at times but… it was part of his charm, I guess.'_

'_Yeah… I kinda get what you mean.'_

'_And um… I… if you take good care of him, then he'll take even better care of you. Just make sure you remember that.'_

* * *

_Side Story: __Doorstep__ Fin_

**Author's Notes:** _And that's it for the specials. Thank you very much to all of you who returned to read them. I'm 100% done with the fiction for good, now. No more 'Inch', ahaha._

_I wanted to do something different with Weiss' perspective. You got parts of it on the occasional chapter, but I wanted something a bit more. Jaune's perspective allows the reader to get into his mind and see the world of Inch through his eyes and feel what he feels. Blake's perspective in chapter 17 was more of a motif-driven one with "Blakey". __Weiss' perspective is written more in the style of Blake's._

_The entire story actually takes place on Ruby's doorstep before her Bachelorette party, hence the title as well as the summary. Weiss' perspective also comes in sets of two. The graduating excerpt is used as the story's midpoint and doesn't pair with anything. I wanted to imitate a "train of thought"._

_There isn't a lot to write with Weiss, as you can see. Unlike Blake, a lot of questions about her have been answered in the main story. That's why this is so much shorter than "The Red Demon". I also didn't want to delve into the "forgotten years" between when she's 28 to when she's 35 too much. As weird as it sounds, Vacuo and the White Fang conflict serve as backdrops. The actual plot has always been about the characters. The conflict is a vessel._

_But yeah. I hope this chapter provides closure to those who were dissatisfied with the ending. As for what's in the future for me, I have two more fic ideas. One will be a three-parter released sometime in the next month. The other is a project that GEP has given me the keys to. I may not be able to think as crazily as him, but I hope I can at least live up to his writing moniker._

_Anyway, last essay A/N from me on here. Thank you again, and remember to keep it real._

_\- Narutochaos22_


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